Walking with Shadows
by Woodsballer
Summary: She was just a student on the archeological find of her life. But her discovery quickly takes her down a new, dangerous path; a path that could bring an entire race to its knees. OCXOC. Rated for violence. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome all to my newest story.**

**Disclaimer: Pokemon is the property of Nintendo and is not used for profit in any way. The story itself is mine and may not be used in part or whole without written permission.**

_**Walking with Shadows**_

_**An Original Fanfiction by Woodsballer**_

At the beginning of time, our world was much the same, yet completely different.

Thousands of years ago, Earth was home to two powerful races. The humans, infinitely intelligent, marveled at their works of science, creating cities that towered over the land.

The Yng'va, preferring to stay one with nature, chose the path of magic, forming beautiful colonies of formed trees and rock.

But all was not well between the races. The humans, while intelligent, were greedy, and hungered for the powers that the Yng'va possessed. Using their powerful weapons of science, they stormed the villages, taking everything they could and killing any Yng'va that stood in their way.

The Yng'va would not stand by. Forming their own elite army of fighters and magicians, they fought back. For years, they battled, spilling blood all across the land.

In the end, the humans triumphed. But they did not win completely. With the enemy at their doorsteps, the remaining High Mages of the Yng'va wove a powerful spell.

On that day, the Yng'va took on powerful wards that made them appear as humans to all except their own kind. The humans completely forgot that the Yng'va ever existed. History became rewritten so that to all but the remaining, the Yng'va vanished from history, replaced by the creatures they called Pokemon.

Through the ages, the Yng'va have lived among us, hiding in plain sight and slowly growing in number. Among them, several have raised a dangerous question that few dare dwell on.

How much longer can they stay hidden?

**Chapter 1**

**Discovery**

Deep in a cavern, a rock shifts. One by one, small rocks break from the rest and fall to the floor a few feet below. Larger rocks began to fall, joining the pile. And then with a heavy grunt, an arm forced a huge piece inwards, allowing a javelin of light to pierce through the darkness.

As the dust settled, Chloe pushed her way through the small hole. Though it was rough, she couldn't help but have a stupid grin across her face. She pulled her legs free and stood. "Finally…" she said to herself.

The light didn't reach very far, so she reach behind to her backpack and pulled up the rod holding the floodlight. With a click, she illuminated the space.

Before her stretched a football field-sized cavern. The immediate area was simply a barren platform. But just at the edge of her lamp's light, walls of rock rose, casting shadows across the far wall.

Chloe began to walk forward, bringing the walls into the light. They were surprisingly intact. They were perfectly smooth and met at perfect right angles.

Reaching to the other side of her bag, she angled up the camera, fixing it in a position just over her shoulder, and flicked it on. "Chloe Redden's Journal, date April 13, 2017." She turned her body, showing the camera the entrance and then the buildings as she spoke. "If my research is right, I believe I have finally found the City of Vall. It's right where the books claimed it would be." She came in close to one of the walls. "You can see some remains of what looked to be a home of some sort." She brushed a hand up the corner. "It's made of the same rock as the cavern. No crevices, no cut marks. It must have been carved right out of the rock. Truly incredible."

She wandered the homes, filming every step. For almost five years she'd searched. Most had told her that this city didn't exist, that it had been "swallowed by the earth," never to return. But now she was actually standing in it.

After scanning every home she could find, she went deeper into the cavern. Just past the second row of homes stood another structure. It's top was crafted into a dome that met in a sharp point at the top. Unlike the other buildings, this one was circular, with a single arch-shaped door on the side closest to her.

Once again, she stood in silent fascination. "This… seems to be some sort of temple. How they managed to get a circular wall this perfect I'll never be able to guess."

She walked forward, stepping through the threshold of the door. Her light brilliantly lit the only chamber. Every surface was covered in colorful paintings, taking her breath away. For a moment, she stood and spun slowly, sinking in the pictures. She also noticed a stand at the very center of the circular chamber.

First, she moved to the wall, leaning in close to examine it. "It looks… It looks like the cave drawings of the Sonna Isles, only much more refined. And colored." She slid along. One picture caught her eye. "Here," she said to the camera, sliding a finger over it. It was a painting of a man, but he wasn't human. His skin was purple, he had large hands, and a short tail protruded from his rump. "This is very similar to the artwork in the books taken from North Sonna. The details are very different, though." She looked up. Similar displays, though each with different colors and details, littered the wall. Only a few of the people appeared to be truly human. Theories on these particular drawings baffled archeologists. The popular theory was that they were gods, a mix between man and Pokemon. "This must have been some sort of worship center."

She finally made her way towards the center. A single step led to a raised pedestal. The top was angled, as if something were to be placed there, and had two prongs at the very top that still held a dagger-shaped item. "The priest would have stood here," she explained, completely guessing that she was correct.

Something was on the pedestal. She fingered the edges and one side lifted up. "A book of some kind." There were still decaying fragments of what used to be paper across it. "Perhaps a book of rituals or prayers. The pages are beyond repair."

The knife above it drew her attention. "This may have been a sacrificial knife." Gently, she wrapped her fingers around the hilt. It lifted easily off of its stand. She ran a finger down the blade and across its point. The tip dug into her skin, leaving a thin cut. She gasped and pulled her hand away. A droplet of blood still clung to the knife. "It's still sharp," she said half-amusingly. The knife was replaced, gently, and a bandage applied to her finger.

After getting another ten minutes on film, she retreated back to the entrance. She looked back over the ruins one last time, a sigh escaping her still-smiling lips. Then she was gone, off to report her discovery to her superiors.

Back in the temple, her blood still clung to the stone dagger.

**A/N: I've seen this done and decided to give it a try. If you want to create a character or have a character you want represented, send me a name, species, and one major personality trait. I can't promise major roles or even pretty ones, but I'll try to put them in.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm glad about the response I've gotten so far. Thanks for checking this story out. And if you read the first chapter without reviewing, I hope you won't make the same mistake again.**

**Chapter 2**

**Report**

Chloe Redden stepped lightly out of the old jeep. The gentle rumble of Pewter City encompassed her, but hushed as she stepped into the hotel. Even though it was a very quiet city, it was still much too loud for her liking.

A man in a long black jacket stepped over, matching step with her. "Chloe Redden?"

"Yes. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Jason Hung." He held out a business card. "Your recent activities have caught the eyes of my employer."

She took it, but didn't recognize the company logo. "Am I in some sort of trouble?" She stopped at the elevator.

The man laughed. "Not at all," he replied with a smile. "We simply wish to provide some assistance."

Now she laughed. A bell dinged as the door slid open. As she stepped inside, she said over her shoulder, "Thanks, but I don't need any help."

"We are quite insistent…"

He started to step inside after her, but she held up a hand, pushing him back out. "Look, I've seen enough of your type. So back off."

Her comment caused him to cock an eyebrow. "Really? And just what is my type?"

"Treasure hunter types that like to swing in just before the next big discovery, stealing credit from those that really earned it." She pressed her floor button. "I'm better off without you," she added just before the door closed.

He sniggered. "You obviously don't know me." With a deft swipe, he pulled his phone to his ear. "She won't accept our help willingly."

"Stand-by," the person on the other end spoke.

He slapped the phone closed and moved into a corner. Time to play the waiting game.

----------

As soon as Chloe was in her room, she dumped her bag and pulled out the laptop. Several practiced commands and she was connecting to satellite network. "Come on, work faster."

A small window popped open, a gentleman's face filling it. "Chloe, hello."

"Hello, John," she answered happily. John was the head curator at the International Museum in Saphron. He was also her biggest supporter.

"So, how is Mount Moon? You haven't gotten too worked up, I hope. This is your time off."

"I don't have time to _not_ work. This was the only way I could come up here. But it was worth it." A stupid laugh escaped her lips, betraying the joy she was trying to suppress.

John's eye began to sparkle as well. "Chloe, you tell me right now."

She stifled the laugh. "I found it."

They both exploded into their own little fits of excitement. "Send me the videos," he pleaded.

She was already uploading them. "It's weird. It was right where the text said it would be. I'm surprised no one had found it already."

"Well, perhaps no one else was stupid enough." He gave her a wink.

She laughed again at his friendly joke. There had been a running joke amongst her archeological associates that no one was stupid enough to even try finding the Vall's City because it didn't exist anymore. "Yeah. If this doesn't get me that promotion, nothing will."

"Well, I can guarantee that this will get it," he said with a nod. She could see the reflection of the video in his eyes and brought it up on her own screen. "This is truly amazing."

"There's something I wanted to ask you about. Go ahead to the temple…"

----------

Jason's cell vibrated. It was by his ear a second later. "Yes?"

"She's found it. Go."

He practically dropped the phone as he suddenly dashed for the elevator door. A couple had just gotten in, and he slid to a stop just before them, pressing the button calmly. With his other hand, he reached under his jacket, brushing the metal at his back. Trying to appear calm, he waited for the elevator to rise.

----------

"Well, you're right, they do share a resemblance to the Sonna drawings. But these are much more detailed." John was just as fascinated with this discovery as she was. "I want to send a team up there to help out."

"A team? Really?"

"Yes. And you're going to head it."

For a moment, she couldn't speak. A quick glance back at her career passed in her head. She'd started as and technically still was just an archeological student interned with the International Museum. She'd never been given an assignment higher than Resource Coordinator. It had always been her dream to be given a higher position. The site head was the highest she could get. "A…are you serious?"

"Dead serious," he answered, a bit of his excitement vanishing to be replaced with a more serious nature. "I don't care what Frederick says. Consider your vacation over."

Again, she was too stunned to speak for a moment. "Thank you, John. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Don't thank me just yet," he added quickly. He turned his head, looking at what she knew was the team wall. "I'm afraid the only team I've got right now is Scott's."

Her smile vanished. "You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm afraid not."

Her head suddenly hung. Of all the people, why did it have to be Scott? Last she'd heard he still hadn't forgiven her. "Are you sure there's no other team you could send?"

John shook his head. "All of the other teams are out. And this would still be considered low priority, so I don't have the authority to pull a higher team."

Chloe could help but sigh annoyingly. "Fine. I guess you can…"

A loud bang cut her off. She heard the door slam into the wall and turned quickly, but the man from the lobby was already coming at her. His hand held a black pistol aimed at her chest. Out of fright, she froze in place, her hands raised.

"Chloe Redden, you are coming with me," he said firmly. "Close your laptop and bring it with you."

Her eyes dropped to it. John was still on the other end. "Chloe? What's going on?" But she didn't want to give the man any reasons, so she gently turned the screen down, ending the connection.

"Good. Now, let's go for a little walk, shall we?"

She slid her laptop into her bag and followed. He kept the gun pressed lightly but secretly pressed against her back as they went down the elevator and out into a straight black car.

----------

Deep in the mountain, the drop of blood pooled on the lower edge of the blade.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Happy Easter, everyone!**

**Chapter 3**

**Forced Trip**

The man held the pistol tight to her back as they passed through the lobby. So badly Chloe wanted to scream for help, but a well-timed thrust of the metal kept her mouth shut.

Outside, he walked her to a black car and guided her into the back seat. The door was closed behind her.

Chloe instantly reached for the door handle, but found that there wasn't one. On the inside, it was just a smooth panel. A metal mesh separated the front seats from the back, effectively isolating her.

The man climbed into the drivers seat, turning it on.

"What's this all about?" she dared to ask now that he didn't have a pistol trained at her. "If you want the location of the ruins, I'll give it to you."

"Is that all you think this is about?" he replied calmly as he pulled out into traffic. He laughed. "Why is it that none of you can see past your own existence?"

That comment silenced her. If he wasn't after the ruins, her only bargaining chip was gone. There was no telling what they wanted her for now. So she resigned herself to the silent trip.

----------

The car stopped at a moderately sized corporate building on the far side of Pewter City. The front was brick with rows of windows. A small sign on the wall proudly displayed a logo of three diagonal lines. No name or words of any kind. It was very inconspicuous.

He opened the door and let her step out. She couldn't see the pistol but had no doubt that it was within easy reach.

They walked inside to a lobby lined with chairs. A desk stood as an island in the center. The receptionist looked up, but didn't make a single remark as they walked past to the elevators in the hallway beyond. The machine took them up three floors to a floor that seemed surprisingly open. The floor, ceiling, and what few walls there were were a flat grey color. A guard stood proud in the hallway. "Cell 3, George."

She was herded towards a door that the guard opened for her. Inside waited a bed, a dresser, and a television. "There are some spare clothes in the dresser, fit to your size," her captor stated simply from outside. "If you need to relieve yourself or require anything, knock and the guard will assist you." He started to close the door.

Chloe jumped forward, pushing it open. "Hold on a second, buddy…"

"My name is Jason."

"Fine, Jason. You still haven't told me what I'm doing here."

"Just wait. Your questions may be answered shortly." He slammed the door closed, pushing her backwards.

She stepped back and slammed her fists at the door. "MAY? You can't hold me here!" She continued screaming for several minutes, but no one answered her.

With a heavy sigh, her sights turned back to her room. It was simple, but had the furnishings she would need. The dresser was full of enough clothes to last her at least a week. She prayed to someone that she wouldn't be here that long.

She had to do something to get out of here. Or at least test their limits or do _something._ She rapped the door. "Excuse me."

This time, a panel at around eye level slid open. Two eyes peered through. "Yes?"

"Could you send me up something to eat?" she asked politely. "I haven't eaten since breakfast." It was actually true.

"We'll get you something." The panel slid closed.

Silence settled over the room again. She decided to turn on the television, if for no other reason than to get some noise.

The door opened and the guard held out a tray that supported a bowl of steaming soup, a glass of water, and a small piece of pie. He placed it on the dresser. "There's a table behind the dresser if you'd like." Then he left.

She paused for several seconds, almost baffled that they had actually sent food. The table, a small wooden fold-up, was pulled out and set up. She used the bed to sit and examined the meal. The soup was a red broth with vegetables and what looked like crabmeat. The pie was apple with a caramel glaze. The utensils were even metal.

"_There's no way this is real,"_ she thought to herself. She lifted the spoon and scooped up some of the liquid, avoiding any of the vegetables. She blew over it to cool it, carefully lifted it to her lips, and let it trickle over her tongue. It _was_ crab. And it was good.

It didn't take her long to finish the bowl of soup. The pie quickly followed; it was slightly tart, but the glaze added a very nice sweetness.

She had barely finished when the door opened. This time, a short man in a business suit walked inside. He was balding, with graying hair forming a ring around his cranium. A thick nose hung over a thin mustache. "I hope they are treating you well," he said quickly.

Chloe quickly put the drink glass down and swallowed the water in her mouth. "And you are…"

"Oh, forgive me. I am Carlos Fangard, owner of this business." He gestured at the empty tray. "The food was to your liking?"

For a moment, Chloe's mind began to wonder if this was all some sort of trick. No kidnapper treated their kidnappees this well. But she played along. "As good as any restaurant I've ever eaten at."

"Most of our chefs are retired restaurant chefs," he replied with a smile. "If I'm correct, they are preparing a rotisserie chicken with steamed asparagus for supper tonight."

There was another silence as Chloe processed his statements. He actually _was_ for real.

"Let's be honest," he continued. "There are several questions you want answered." It wasn't a question, so she kept quiet and let him continue. "We have a particular interest in the site you discovered today. We have actually known about it for many years."

"Then why did you wait for me?" she asked, interrupting him. "Why not just go and claim it?"

He gave her a stern look. "My dear, there are many things that are valuable in this world. Life, family, love… I do not take fame to be very valuable."

"Then why are you holding me?"

"Apparently there are some very strange things happening in Vall's City. We are simply holding you to see if you have been affected."

"That's bullshit!" She stood up quickly, nearly knocking the tray to the floor. "There was nothing dangerous in that cave."

"So you think. But we have been monitoring it for some time and all of our evidence points to something. We are simply taking precautions."

"Then what exactly is it that could be so dangerous?" She didn't actually buy it. But maybe he'd slip something.

"We cannot tell you. With any luck, there is nothing to be afraid of and we will release you. But should something actually happen, you will probably know before we do." He turned and knocked on the door; George opened it for him.

"So what happens then? If this _thing_ actually does happen?"

He paused halfway out the door. "We shall have to see." The tone in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. "There is a gym at the back of this floor. Feel free to use it if you require exercise." The door clicked shut, leaving her alone with a still-glowing television.

**A/N: The first of reader-created characters, George. Thanks, AwsomeChef. And don't worry, you'll see him a bit more eventually.**

**If you still want to put your character in, I'd like to be a bit more specific. As of right now, I'd like Pokemorph characters. In addition, it would be helpful if you provided your own name. A human name if you want, but a Yng'va name would be more helpful (I can make one based on the human name if you can't). Use your imagination.**

**And as always, thanks so very much for reading and don't forget to review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Surprise! Yes, I realize that it is not the right day for chapters, but I will not be home tomorrow and I don't know if I'll have computer access, so you're getting this chapter a day early. Shut up and be thankful.**

**Chapter 4**

**Visitation**

Despite her better judgment, Chloe decided to accept Carlos' offer to the gym. She found a set of work out clothes in the top drawer. Most of it was general off-the-shelf clothing and was slightly large, but they fit well enough. When she made her request to George, he opened the door and led her down the single hall and through another door. The gym was large, with enough workstations for around thirty people, including treadmills, weight benches, and a variety of machines.

She was the only one in currently minus the guard. "It gets more busy later in the day," he said. "There's a shower in the back if you'd like."

He just waited by the door while she went for a long walk on a treadmill and watched the news on a TV in the corner of the ceiling. The shower was large and public, but as she was the only person, she didn't mind. Thankfully the guard didn't follow her in. As she hadn't showered since first finding the ruins, she allowed herself to just enjoy the flowing warmth for several minutes. But eventually George came to the entrance and told her to finish up. Since she didn't bring a change of clothing, she just used the towel going back to her room.

The guard opened the door for her and she stepped inside, but she stopped just inside. Another man was waiting for her, his back turned to the door. But she recognized even from behind. "Scott?"

He turned, allowing her to see his face. Sharp features, bluish-grey eyes, and just a hint of chin stubble. His face gave one of those rugged-yet-valiant feels that she so often fell for.

His eyes fell to her towel. "Oh!" He quickly covered his eyes with his arm. "I'm sorry," he panted as he turned back around.

Chloe kept her towel up as she began pulling clothes from the drawer. "Don't worry. It's nothing you haven't already seen." She let the towel drop and began to dress. "How did you find me here?"

"I went to the hotel and found a card in the lobby. The emblem matched the logo on this building." He kept his back turned as he spoke.

"And they just let you in to see me?"

"Yeah. Why are they even keeping you here?"

She touched his shoulder, causing him to turn back to her. "They say it's because of the City, but I honestly think that's bull." She fell onto the bed. "Do you think you could do something to get me out?"

Scott scratched the back of his neck. It was a bad habit of his. "I don't think so. I did some research on the symbol before I found the building…"

"And what did you find?"

He paused, as if weighing his words. "I didn't find anything. Nothing in the public systems, no phone or electric bills, not even anything on the Internet. It's like this company doesn't even exist."

The cogs in Chloe's mind began to turn. "How is that even possible? There would at least be some kind of company permits."

"There's nothing," he said as he shook his head. "But I'm going to talk to this Carlos guy, see if I can't talk some sense into him. Besides…" A smile came to his lips. "We need to get back and check out those ruins."

"Yeah."

He gave her a pat on the shoulder as he stepped past her. When the door closed behind him and the silence wrapped her, she touched the spot. Memories began to fill her mind.

----------

(Thirteen months ago)

The couple stumbled out of the carnival, laughing like children. But after that night, they both felt like children. He pulled a piece of cotton candy from the stick and she opened her mouth, letting him lay it on her tongue. Her lips closed around his finger and he pulled it back with a giggle. She pulled a piece off and returned his feeding. The two stumbled to his car and drove off into the night.

Another night, he had taken her to a dinner. Even though they were both almost flat broke, he had managed to spring for the Chateau, one of the nicest restaurants in the city. The bill for the two of them had come to almost two hundred dollars. But they still stopped for ice cream before saying goodbye on her porch step.

----------

So many memories. Her hand traced circles over her shoulder.

----------

Scott watched Chloe through the television screen closely. She was lying down on the bed, sleeping. "Do you realize how illegal this is?"

"Yes," Carlos answered. "And _you_ fully understand how immune we are."

"_I_ do." He stood up. "But _she_ doesn't. The moment she steps outside of these walls, she's going to be screaming to anyone who will listen."

"Scott, we have everything under control," Carlos assured him. "Even if our theories do turn out…"

"Which you have yet to show evidence for," Scott pointed out. "That temple has been dead ever since it was buried."

"That is precisely the reason we must be so cautious. No one, let alone one like her, has set foot in it for centuries. The possible results are unfathomable."

Scott looked back at the screen and shook his head. "I just don't see any of them coming from one visit. Do you have the video she took?"

A technician slid a memory card into a reader and a second screen began to play her video. Her voice could be heard through the speakers as she gave her analysis.

"She clearly has no clue," Scott said.

"But we cannot be sure," Carlos said for what seemed like the millionth time.

"You better be sure about what you're doing," Scott said. He held a finger to the screen that showed Chloe in her room. "Even if no one listens to her, the ones that do matter will know. And they won't like the way you've handled this." He let the threat hang in the air and moved to leave. But then a thought came to his mind and he stopped. "Just out of curiosity, let's say you're right. What will you do?"

Carlos gave him a look that formed into a grin. "If it comes to that, I will contain it." Then, with extra emphasis, he added, "Using any means necessary."

----------

Under the mountains, a stone blade sits. A drop of blood dangles from the tip. Without a sound, it slips free and falls onto the worn pages of the book beneath it.

As soon as the contact is made, a light bursts from the worn pages. The creases in the stonework shimmer and glow, illuminating the space brighter than the sun. And a second later, the light vanishes.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Awakening**

Chloe's eyes burst open. A lingering tingle filled her fingers and toes. She had just broken from the most bizarre dream she'd ever had.

She pushed herself up and rubbed her head, the visions coming through her mind. She was in a forest. It was dark and she was alone. A ring of torches had suddenly burst to life around her. In the light, dozens of creatures had appeared. Words tried to describe them, but somehow failed. The best she could remember of them was that they looked like humanoid Pokemon. Or would it be humans that looked like Pokemon? The question was quickly forced from her head. She wasn't one to put a heavy emphasis on dreams.

Instead, she checked her watch. It was just past 6 o'clock. This was normally the time she would wake up anyway. Her day usually started with a jog; even though she had walked last night, her daily routine urged her to get up and run. So she pulled a pair of running shorts and a T from the dresser plus a change of clothes for after her shower and changed before knocking on the door. "I'd like to go for a run, please."

She stepped back and waited. A few seconds later, the latch clicked open and the door creaked open. She started for the door but froze when she looked outside. Just past the door stood a monster. Brown fur covered it from head to toe. She caught a glimpse of one of its hands; each finger ended in a long brown claw.

For a moment, her eyes simply bulged. Her legs went weak and her mind shut down. The creature created a strange face. "Ma'am? Are you ok?"

She lost it. Her throat released a high-pitched scream and she fell back, almost tripping on the bed, until her back hit the wall. The thing flashed a look of surprise and slammed the door shut. Her scream faded as she sank down to the floor.

The room entered a state of hot silence. Her heart pounded in her ears while sweat beaded on her brow.

----------

The door whipped open with a bang. "We've got a problem, sir."

Carlos looked up from his paperwork. Without even having to ask, he knew it was about her. His work was forgotten.

As they walked down the hall, his assistant explained. "George claims she saw him and just freaked out."

"Just like that?"

"Apparently."

His well-trained mind began calculating. "Was it an anger kind of 'freak' or fear?"

"He claims she moved away from him, so I would guess fear."

Carlos grinned. Everything was moving exactly as he'd expected.

----------

Chloe's mind slowly came back to her. Her first thought was that she was still in her dream. A quick pinch had sent a tingle of pain through her hand. That meant she was awake, right? So what had she seen?

A crackling sounded above her. "Chloe? Are you there?"

After a moment, she recognized it as Carlos' voice. "Carlos?"

"Good morning, Chloe." The voice was rough and metallic, but she could hear that he was trying to be cheerful. "I've been told you had a panic attack of some sort. I'm merely calling to check up on you."

Her heart had slowed to a point that allowed her to clearly think. The image of the burley beast was practically burnt into her mind.

"Is everything all right?" Carlos asked.

She shook her head, even though no one could see her. "I don't know. I… I thought I saw something when the guard opened the door."

"Could you describe what it was you saw for me?"

"It was covered in fur," she managed to say. "Brown fur with brown claws." The speakers went silent for a moment. "Carlos?"

"Could you please turn your television to channel seven, please?" His voice sounded bland and mechanical, but she could sense a subtle undertone. What that undertone was, she could pinpoint.

Using an arm, she pushed herself up to her feet and swung over to the television. It was on with a flick and she dialed the right channel. She already knew that channel seven was a news channel, one she watched regularly. But where the regular caster usually sat was another one of those monsters. It wasn't as big of a shock this time, perhaps because it was through the television, and she was able to examine it a bit. It was distinctly humanoid with pinkish fur. Six long flaps fell from the side of its head, one on each side. She reminded Chloe of a Chansey.

"Chloe? Could you please describe to me what you see?"

Her eyes seemed to become transfixed on the image for a moment. And then her mouth just moved. "I see… A woman, but she's not human. She almost looks like a Chansey." What she was saying sounded completely absurd, but it was the strange truth. She reminded herself that this was probably just a dream.

"That's good, Chloe," Carlos said. There was definitely a hint of excitement there. "I'm sorry, but we are going to have to ask you to remain in your room until further notice. You will be cared for, but you must stay there." The speaker went silent.

Chloe sat back on the bed, and with a sigh, fell back onto the pillow. Well, she couldn't really do anything now, so she forced herself to go back to sleep. The faster she woke up from this dream, the sooner she could get on.

----------

Carlos let the mic drop and turned to his assistant. "Looks like it's finally happened. Make the call." His assistant left. "And get Scott on the phone," he added. "He'll want to hear about this."

The man turned back to the screen. The girl was going back to sleep. A grin spread over his lips. With a laugh, he left the room and went back to his office.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Why does no one review? Please, people. I can't know how well I'm doing without you telling me. Don't forget to review.**

**Chapter 6**

**Breakout**

Scott sat on his hotel bed, laptop open before him. After a restless sleep, he'd woken at five o'clock. The past hour had been spent doing some research. And everything he'd found was spelling out bad news.

His cell phone rang on the sheets next to him. He scooped it up and checked the number before answering. "Yes?" He paused and listened. His eyes bulged. "What?" The person took only seconds to explain.

He quickly closed the laptop and threw it to the bed. "I'm on my way. Seven minutes." The door locked shut behind him.

----------

The portly man walked back into the control room. He had just gotten off of the phone with _them_. They had been adamant about treating the woman well. But they also demanded containment. That he could promise. Whatever else happened they didn't need to know about.

Carlos' only problem now was determining how to handle her. He highly doubted that she would come willingly. No one making this sort of transition would.

But then, no one had had to make this transition before.

The door shut behind him. "What's the status?"

"She's awake," the man at the monitor said without looking. "She's lying on the bed."

His assistant waited at the other end of the room. "Scott has yet to answer his phone."

He nodded. "That's fine." If anything, that played into his hands better. The two obviously knew each other. If he smelled any foul play at all, he would go straight to the top. And Carlos couldn't allow that.

With a lick of his lips, he clapped his hands. "Well, perhaps we should officially introduce ourselves." He and his assistant walked out into the halls, a smile spread over his face.

----------

Her hand lifted off of her face. She had woken up, but no one was answering her calls. The vivid visions from her dream were still filling her mind. That creature had been so realistic.

The door lock clicked open. She pushed herself up to a sitting position. The door swung open.

The creature wasn't there. Instead, another creature stood in the doorway. This one was about her height and covered with red fur. Around its neck was a ring of thick yellowish fur; similar fur covered a tail that stuck through a pair of black pants.

Its eyes instantly locked on her. "Chloe."

Without the element of surprise, she didn't feel the urge to scream. Instead, she simply spun off the bed and pressed her back to the far wall. "What do you want with me?"

It stepped towards her, reaching out a hand. "You have to come with me. Now!"

"No way! I don't know who or even _what_ you are."

The creature, which she realized to have a Flareon resemblance, snarled for a moment and scratched at the back of its neck, but then looked straight at her. "Look at my eyes. You know me better than you think."

She wanted to look away, just to spite it, but couldn't help but get drawn in. It dawned on her slowly, and she couldn't believe it. "Scott?"

"See? You do know me. Now come on." He stepped around the table and grabbed her hand. She was so shocked that she didn't think to pull away. He led her out of the door. She looked back and saw the other guy lying on the floor, unconscious.

They turned back down the hall. "Scott, what's going on?"

He didn't turn. "I'll explain everything when we get out of here. But you can't stay here."

"Why not?"

"That was always the problem with you. Too many questions." He turned into a doorway.

They stopped at the landing. Chloe couldn't help but be astonished. Scott had always said that. Her imagination was really going overtime.

Scott started to go down, but stopped. He spun suddenly. "Back up," he whispered harshly. They went up a few flights and stopped. "Stay quiet."

She was going to ask why when she heard it: a heavy set of footsteps. Her breath silenced as the bang of metal got louder. Through the cracks of the stairs, she saw a large body climbing. As it approached the doorway, she got a better look at it. It was another one of these creatures. This one was short and fat and wearing a black business suit. Its ears had wisps at their tips and its thin tail was capped with a yellow thunderbolt. As she looked at it, a name seemed to jump into her head: Carlos.

He went through the doorway, followed closely by a female creature. As soon as it clicked shut, Scott was pulling her down the stairs. She raced to keep up, nearly tripping over the steps.

The two burst through the door at the bottom. A guard was waiting just down the hall, this one large and brown with a yellow ring on its chest. Chloe saw him and started to back away. But just as he took a step towards them, his suddenly fell into a heap at the floor.

Her eyes froze in shock, but Scott was already pulling her down the hall. He forced the rear door open and they fell out into the open air.

She finally tore her hand away and slowed. "What's going on here, Scott?"

He stopped, moving back to take her hand. "I'll explain later. But we have to get away from this place."

Her hand jerked away, dodging his. "No. Not until I get some explanations."

A sudden jerk knocked her shoulder. She turned, but no one was around. A haze appeared in front of her, and from it, a pair of blue eyes faded into existence.

Chloe nearly screamed in fright.

"Go with him, Chloe," a soft, female voice said. "Just go!" The eyes vanished.

She looked at him, wordlessly searching for answers. He simply took her hand and led her towards a nearby cluster of buildings. "Once we're safe," he promised.

----------

The control room door burst open with a bang. "Is it really so hard to get good security in this place?!" Carlos screamed. "How in hell did she get out?!" Angry sparks jumped at his cheeks.

"We aren't sure yet, sir," one of the many men answered. "The camera feed went dead soon after you left. And the cameras cut off one by one."

"Show me," he said angrily, leaning over a screen. Footage of Chloe in her room filled the image. But then it simply went to white static. "What about the hallway?"

"It went dead about five seconds before the one in the room."

He tried to suppress a howl, but it got out. "Are you telling me that she got out and we don't have one clue how?!"

The men just stopped in shamed silence.

His assistant creaked open the door. "Excuse me, sir. But _they_ are calling. They wish to know how she took it."

Another scream pressed at his lips. This time he held it down with a deep breath. "In my office." He started to leave but stopped and turned in the doorway. "You do whatever it takes to find her!"

He slammed the door as hard as he had going in and stormed to his office. The entire way, sparks jumped at his cheeks and lights flickered as he passed them. The sparks stopped as he stepped into his office.

The light on his phone was blinking red. He cleared his throat before pressing it. "Good morning, Naris."

"Fan, how is your guest responding?"

He paused for a moment, unsure of which path to take. "She is taking it well. From what we can gather, she is accepting it."

The voice changed to a deeper masculine one. "If that is the case, we wish to see her."

"Forgive me, but I do not think that would be wise," Carlos said quickly, covering a curse. "We aren't certain how heavy it would be on her system. If you could give us a few hours…"

There was a pause on the line. "That is acceptable. We await your notification of when she is ready."

Carlos bowed, even though he knew they could not see him. "May the Spirits above watch over you," he said ceremoniously.

"And over you," they replied, cutting off the line.

The large man fell into his seat, his mind attempting to work through his anger while his prize got further away.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you for anyone that left a review. But don't stop just because you left it once. Your comments are still what tell me how well I'm doing. And for those that may be new to me, I'm OK with Flames as long as they are constructive.**

**Chapter 7**

**Revelation**

Scott watched through a tiny crack in the curtain at the building. Several vehicles spilled from garages that spread in different directions. On foot, a number of hunters were searching for a trail.

He let the curtain fall shut. "I think we're safe."

Chloe was sitting on the bed of his hotel room, her mind lost in thought. He took a seat across from her, letting his tail curl up over his lap. One hand awkwardly ran thorough the hair just below his ear. "So…"

She raised her eyes, looking at him, and then returned them to looking at the floor.

"Oh, come on," he said suddenly. "A moment ago you wouldn't stop asking."

He could hear her let out a breath. "How can I be certain this isn't a dream?" she asked, almost to herself.

"Believe me. It's no dream."

She finally decided to raise her head. He merely watched as her eyes traced over his features. It was probably very difficult for her to come to terms with this actually being real. They had known each other for years, but this was the first day she had seen him in his true form.

She finally pushed herself up straight. "Ok. Let's say for the sake of argument that this isn't a dream. That still doesn't eliminate a number of possibilities that would explain all of this."

"You weren't drugged and you didn't withstand any head injuries, so you aren't hallucinating," he said very matter-of-factly. "Anything else?"

Her silence gave him the answer. "Ok. Then explain it. Why haven't I ever seen you like this? Why hasn't anyone?!"

Now he was put on the spot. "You can't. Or you couldn't," he explained. "No human has seen us for centuries." She started to speak, but he raised a hand to stop her. "Don't ask me how or why. Most of our history is a closely guarded secret. What I do know is that something happened long ago and we had to hide ourselves from humans."

She scoffed. "You talk about us as if we're evil."

"A lot of us think you are." He didn't feel so. It was just a fact. "The Keepers, people like Carlos, do nothing but make sure that the secret stays a secret."

That bit made sense to Chloe. It definitely answered several questions like why they were keeping her. "So why can I miraculously see you?" she asked.

Scott just shrugged. "Hard to say. Most likely something happened in those ruins that took you out of the spell."

"Spell? Now I suppose you're going to tell me that you're magical?"

He twisted his head a bit. "Well…"

Her face did a classic sweatdrop. "You have got to be kidding me." He didn't give a response. "No. No. There's no such thing as magic."

Another voice from the corner spoke. "Are you sure about that?"

Chloe looked over in time to see a figure materialize in the room. This one was a female with smooth blue skin. Fins sprouted from her arms and a long, elegant tail flowed to her knees. Even to Chloe, she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Scott saw her look. "Chloe, this is my sister, Anai."

Her head snapped back to him. "You have a sister? You never told me you had a sister. Is there anything else that you haven't told me?"

He thought for a moment. "No, I think that's about it."

She shook her head in disbelief before looking over at the other woman. "So, magic…" The woman shared a striking resemblance to a Vaporeon. "I'm guessing you have something to do with water?"

"Not entirely," Anai said. "The Path of Ice has a greater tune with water. My skills are more focused on secrecy and espionage."

Chloe nodded her head, pretending to understand. She looked at Scott. "So what can you do?"

He raised his hand. Fire burst from his palm. "Fire." His fingers closed and the flame was extinguished.

The human sat silently for a moment, still trying to comprehend everything. "Is there no other evidence than your word to prove this is all true?"

The other two shared a glance. "I don't think so," he said. "You'll just have to trust me."

Anai cut in. "Have you even thought of what we're going to do with her?"

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"Wait, what does that mean?" Chloe asked.

"We need to take you into hiding," Scott said. "Carlos will stop at nothing to find you."

"And I doubt he'd take your safety into account," Anai added.

A jolt went though Chloe's heart. "You mean he'll kill me?"

"It's likely." Again with Scott's straight-facts voice.

Anai looked over at Scott. "There is one place we could take her."

He turned to her. "No. I'm not going back there."

"I don't think you have much of a choice, Sain."

"I will _always_ have a choice!"

"PLEASE!" The two became silent at Chloe's outburst. "I'm sorry, but I, for one, don't want to die here, hallucination or not. So let's choose what we're doing and do it."

"I think the village will be the safest place for her," Anai said with certainty.

"What village?" Chloe asked before Scott could counter.

Scott breathed deeply.

Anai explained. "It's our home."

"Can we trust them?"

The Vaporeon thought. "Hard to say. If nothing else, you can hide there."

Chloe looked over at Scott. He just shook his head. "Fine. Seems like I'm outvoted." He pushed himself to his feet. "The Forest Village it is."

----------

Carlos monitored from the control room. The men gave him a nice wide berth, but that was fine by him.

The vehicles weren't reporting anything on the roads. They even had several men in the skies. If they dared to show their face, they'd be spotted. And even if they didn't, the hunters would find them eventually. Now it was only a matter of waiting, which Carlos was notorious for not being able to do.

"Isn't there anything yet?"

"Not yet, sir."

He prepared to yell at someone when a cry came from the far end of the room. "Sir! One of the hunters has something."

"It's about time. Get a retrieval team at those coordinates pronto."

Jason Hung, the large guard that first made the capture, started to head out from the side of the room. He was one of Carlos' best, one of the more muscular lines of their people, yet he was also able to get moving deceptively fast.

But Carlos stopped him as he reached the door. "Stay here, Hung. We don't want her completely terrified. Yet."

----------

Scott led them through the hallways and down the stairs. They were approaching the ground floor when Anai stopped them. "Hold on." They froze. She had her eyes closed, her brow tight in concentration. Then her eyes flashed open. "They found us."

"Move!" Scott tore through the door. "Make for the back alley."

They ran through the hotel's main lobby, startling many people. A moment later, they heard a number of rough cries from the other side of the crowd. More were coming. "Anai, give us a screen."

"Right."

Chloe looked back, but she couldn't see the woman. A moment later, a pure white cloud of fog sprang up from the ground. It wasn't until she saw the fog that something happened in her heart that made it race. A single thought went through her head. _"This is really happening. I'm running for my life."_

They crashed through a rear door, spilling out into an alleyway behind the hotel. But before they could even get their bearings, a cry came from one end. They turned and Chloe got her first look at the hunters.

They were all about Scott's height, though a few were a bit shorter. Every one had either yellow or light blue fur. The yellow ones had red circles on their cheeks and long pointed ears. _"Pikachus."_ The others had bushy, curling tails and white features. _"Pachirisu."_

A mysterious tingling crept up her arm and the hair on her neck suddenly stood on end. What was it they said about this sensation?

Scott suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her down. A moment later, a bolt of electricity from one of their pursuers streaked through the air where she had been. He jumped back up, quickly forming a fireball in his hand. A long streak of fire erupted outwards, filling the alley. The electric-powered men ducked behind cover, but Scott didn't waste that long. He was already pulling Chloe down the alley.

But Chloe wasn't thinking at all. As soon as she felt that bolt seer past her head, her mind had shut down. She'd never done well around violence. If Scott weren't pulling her, she would be curling up into a ball in the alley.

As he ran, Scott continued looking for some place to hide. But every alley was almost completely empty.

"Scott, they have men in the sky."

He looked upwards. Anai was right. Several men were cruising overhead, watching them intently on large wings. No doubt they were feeding data to the ground men. "Give us another screen. And make it a big one."

----------

"They're heading down the alley."

"I have them. Forty yards ahead."

"Squad three is moving to intercept."

Carlos listened to it all silently. He wouldn't let himself say anything until he knew one way or another. His mind was creating a mental picture.

"Ok, you should be on them."

"Hold on, something's happening. It looks like a smoke screen."

"Move in, don't let them slip through."

There was a moment of silence. "Does anyone have anything?"

"The screen is clearing. Sky One, do you see anything?"

"Negative. I have lost visual."

The breath that Carlos had been holding was slowly released.

"Sweep the area."

"Roger."

The man couldn't help himself. He pounded the microphone on the table in front of him. "You worthless grunts better find them! Or it's going to be your asses explaining this to the Council."

The speakers sounded off a round of "Yes, Sir"s.

"And get me anyone that had visual at all. I want details about who's helping her."

Another "Yes, Sir."

He set the mike down and began scanning the video screens of the area. "Where have you gone?"


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Awesome! This is the first time a story of mine has reach 1K hits within a single month. Thanks, everyone!**

**Chapter 8**

**Underground**

The smell was sickening. Or it had been, at least. After a few minutes, it became only a mild inconvenience to her nose. She really didn't want to think about what they were walking next to, so she just kept her eyes on the furry body in front of her.

Scott and Chloe, she assumed Anai was with them as well even though she couldn't see her, had been walking through the sewers since they'd dropped into them. It was difficult to tell how long it had been. She guessed it was somewhere around half-an-hour or so. And the entire trip had been in silence. She didn't mind silence, but given the particular situation, she didn't like it. Her mouth spoke the first question that came to her mind. "Why are you helping me?"

She saw his tail twitch. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, as far as I can tell, your kind doesn't take too kindly to my kind. Plus, there was that other thing."

His tail took a slight dip in the air. It occurred to her that it seemed to tell how he might be feeling. Something good to remember later.

"I don't see how that has anything to do with this," he said simply.

"Oh, come on. You can't tell me you aren't still angry."

"No, I'm not."

And then she wished she hadn't asked that particular question. It still pained her. She could only imagine what it was doing to him. But it had brought a thought to her mind. It would not be good to ask now; she'd ask him later. "So where is it we're going?"

"The Forest Village," Scott explained. "It's one of the villages of Eon."

"Eon? You mean like Flareon?"

He twisted his head and looked at her over his shoulder. "Exactly." He looked back forward as he continued. "The Eevee and their evolutions actually originated from our line. It might be hard for you to understand, but we follow a very different hierarchy than you humans do. It's much more family-oriented, hence the villages."

"Sain, are you sure we should be telling her this?" Anai asked from the air next to them.

He looked over, just spotting the haze. "She'll hide better if she understands."

"Alright. If you think so."

They reached an intersection and Scott stopped to check the right tunnel. "Our clan is special in that we are the only ones able to use all elements."

"Though families pass down natural strengths within their path," Anai added.

Chloe was starting to piece it together. "But you're brother and sister, right? So how are you a Vaporeon and he's a Flareon?"

Scott remained silent and his tail took that tiny fall.

Chloe felt moisture by her ear as Anai floated close. "Actually, our family is strong in the Path of Water. Scott was born unable to use water at all."

"You don't have to whisper, Anai," Scott said over his shoulder. "It's not like you have to hide it from me."

She heard a sigh from the invisible woman. "Well, it didn't sit too well with Father when he chose the Path of Fire."

"Why should it make any difference?"

"You don't understand, Chloe. Our father is the leader of our village, perhaps the strongest man our village has ever seen. When Scott had no water abilities, he considered it a shame to his name."

She looked at the back of Scott's head. She noticed that his ears were sort of lying back against his head, like a dog when it's ashamed. "That's why you don't want to go back," Chloe guessed.

"It was my choice. I don't care what the old man says." He started to walked again.

He had so many things that haunted him. Chloe suddenly felt amazed that he could be so strong after all that he had been through.

----------

"Sir, I think we've found something," one of the men said from his station. "Our team found a man-hole cover that was melted shut."

Carlos nodded. Very smart of them. They'd obviously planned this. "Get a Hunter team underground. When we know their direction, I want teams at every outlet."

Hung, who was still waiting in the corner, cut in. "Should I go as well?"

"Not yet," the headman answered without turning. "Let the expendable men weaken them a bit first. Do we have any idea about who they are yet?

"Our psychic is still collecting and analyzing memories."

He grumbled. This was taking too long. "Work faster!" he howled as he walked back to his office.

----------

Chloe turned her head and was just barely able to make out the rippling haze. "So how are you actually able to do that?"

"Do what?" Anai asked.

"Become invisible."

"The Path of Water is able to control mist," she explained. To Chloe, it sounded like a disembodied voice. "We have naturally colored skin that is able to blend with the water, bending the light around us."

"Wow." She didn't really understand it, but it was nice to be talking. "Is there anything else you can do?"

"Well, the smoke screen you saw earlier. I can also put anyone to sleep if I can get close enough."

"You're like a spy," Chloe said jokingly.

Anai heard the tone, but answered seriously. "Actually, that is what my Path is good at. I had spent an entire day with you in your cell without you knowing."

"Really?" Chloe could almost imagine the woman smiling. "But you can't actually control water?"

"No. It is actually the Path of Ice that has extensive control of water."

"That's a little ironic. So what else are your… people… capable of?"

"It depends on what Path you are looking at," Scott said, entering into the conversation. "My Path, the Path of Fire, is able to create and manipulate flames, which you saw. The Path of the Forest is able to grow and control plant life."

"So there's a Path for every form of Eevee evolution." This was all starting to get very intriguing. "What can the Umbreon's do?"

"Umbreon?" Anai asked, confused. "Oh, you mean the Path of the Moon. They are actually quite potent healers."

"Healers?" She wouldn't have guessed that. "So do all species of Pokemon have a counterpart among your kind?"

"Mostly. There are a good number that naturally evolved after the Shroud was created."

"And are there that many of you left?"

"Our kind actually make up about a tenth of the human population, we only look like humans to your kind."

"That many?" This news was beyond her. Her mind quickly began to tumble with the possibilities of this news. This put leading an archeological team to total shame.

----------

"Sir, we have them. They've taken a path that leads to only one exit. Our team is already waiting to intercept them."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: And once again the reviews have trickled. It seems I have to keep reminding you. Please don't forget to leave a review on your way out.**

**Chapter 9**

**Ambush**

The tunnel ended at a curved wall. A ladder led to a manhole cover above them with a single beam of light piercing its center.

The group stopped as Scott looked up at the piece of round metal. "Through there and it's only another hour to the village."

Chloe noticed a gentle haze pass over their heads and focus around the hole. Anai's voice suddenly spoke from above them. "We've got a problem, Sain. There are several dozen men waiting for us."

Scott scowled. "That was faster than I thought."

"Is there another tunnel we could go through?" Chloe asked, looking behind them.

"It wouldn't do any good," Scott said. "They've had men filling the tunnels for the past ten minutes. We'd just get caught there."

Chloe turned back to her. "You mean we're trapped?"

"Basically." A smile spread over his lips. "Which is when I work best."

"Slow down, Sain," Anai said with a gentle firmness. "Are you sure we can take them all?"

"Of course not." He put his hand on Chloe's shoulder and gently pushed her back to the slimy wall.

"You are a fool, Sain." Anai paused for a moment. Then, with a touch of caring, "Well, I better make sure you don't get killed."

Scott helped Chloe down to the floor. "I know you can't stand violence," he said softly. "Just stay down here until I call for you."

He could feel her tremble under him. "Scott, you don't have to do this," she said.

He laughed. "Of course I do," he said, acting as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Before she could respond, he turned from her and looked up at the manhole. "Ok, Anai. Let's hit 'em fast and hard."

"Yes."

----------

The men stood waiting around the round piece of metal, watching the spot cautiously. They'd been waiting for the past hour. And none of them could judge how much longer they'd have to wait.

One of the new men, a hot-headed Houndour, lounged against a tree, smoking a cigarette. "This is pointless. They'll never come out."

"Pipe down," the guy next to him hissed angrily. "Try sitting two days on a stakeout."

"Please." He blew a puff of smoke. "I joined this job for the action, not this constant waiting."

Without warning, a massive blast of white steam shot the manhole cover into the sky. Every man in the clearing jumped. The pour Houndour couldn't react from his position in time and the cover smashed into his head. His friend looked away, bile filling his mouth.

The steam spread, clouding the field. A shadow leapt from the hole, launching streams of fire into the men. Several screams pierced the air as the men rushed to get under cover.

A brave Pachirisu leapt onto a log, shooting several jolts of electricity at the shadow. They were straight on target, but somehow shifted course and singed nothing but air. Not a second later, his face was horribly burned.

The lead officer, an old, muscular Arcanine, howled out from his cover position. "Concentrated fire. Break now!"

As one, half of them rose from their cover and shot a combination of electrical, fire, and energy blasts into the fog. The shadow ducked and dodged, expertly moving around the attacks. But it wasn't fast enough, and several of the beams caught his arms or legs. Each strike was punctuated by a sharp gasp or grunt.

"Delta team, move in!" the Arcanine howled. Half-a-dozen close range fighters broke from the group and dashed in to fight hand-to-hand. The shadow moved to meet them, throwing fire at a few of the to slow them down as he came into striking range of the others.

But this being's personal fighting was as strong as his ranged attacks. Despite their advanced training and superior numbers, the commander watched as his men struggled to hold their own. Two went down instantly to a feint and Fire Punch.

As they began to gang, another shadow that the commander didn't know materialized into the fog, joining the fight. This one's form he could not mistake; that was a water Eon. The fog quickly made sense. With two of them, the Delta team was quickly dispatched. "Alpha, move in!"

----------

Anai swirled around the other fighter, using the moisture from her steam to practically swim through the air. Her extra tail became a heavy club to anyone that tried to sneak up behind her.

Behind her, she could hear her brother's brutally effective punches and kicks. He never was very elegant with his fighting.

Soon, the second wave of attackers was lying at their feet. Anai stepped until her back rested against Scott's. Her breath was heavy with the fight, and her concentration was starting to slip, causing the mist to slowly dissipate around the edges of the field. "We will not be able to keep this up for long," she said to him.

"I know." His voice was heavy with breathing as well.

Through their touch, she could feel his arm slide to a pocket in his shirt. A soft clink struck the air, but it was enough to tell her exactly what he was thinking. "You want to do that?"

"Do you have a better idea?" He slid the bracelet onto his wrist.

She sighed, reaching for her own bracelet. "I'll have to drop the mist. We may have a few seconds."

"Last I remember we needed ten seconds to do it," he said sarcastically. "Can we rush it that much?"

"Do you have a better idea?" she quickly put back.

Their fingers brushed and wove together. The bracelets, blessed to the other, slid to have the metal touch as their hands clenched each other. The bracelets weren't necessary, but they gave a good bridge between them.

The mist began to fade as Scott said, "Born of one blood."

"Bound by one spirit," Anai answered. A light grew and pulsed through their fingers as their eyes drifted shut in concentration.

"We are one!"

----------

The sounds from above were driving spikes of panic into Chloe's mind. Every scream made her cringe and cower against the wall. But when it finally stopped, her mind got the best of her. It had to be over.

Cautiously, she pulled herself up the ladder. Her head just peaked out into the light when the mist suddenly vanished. Anai, fully visible, and Scoot stood over her, their hands clenched to each other. A ring of men was slowly closing in on them. Another pang of fear warned her to move, to get back down into the safety of the tunnel.

A cry from above stalled her. "Twin Element Release: Burning Mist," Scott and Anai said with a single voice. She froze, watching as a cloud collected over them and spread out over the men.

The attackers watched cautiously, but continued approaching. Without a sound, the cloud fell upon them. The instant it touched their skin, every man screamed out in pain as the acid in the cloud quickly burned into their flesh. Within seconds, they fled, howling into the distance.

The cloud remained for only a few seconds after they left. Scott and Anai released each other's hand and looked around. The clearing was now empty except for bodies. One unlucky soul had tripped and got caught in the cloud. Acid continued to eat away at his body. Anai swiftly moved over, offering a prayer for his spirit's safety.

Scott looked back and down, spotting Chloe. Her eyes were bulged in silent shock. He quickly reached down for her. She allowed him to pull her into the air, but remained silent as her eyes scanned the carnage around her.

Without a word, they moved into the trees and towards their destination.


	10. Chapter 10

**For some reason, my section breaks haven't been showing up in the chapters once I upload them. So from here on, I'm trying something else. All caps words show section breaks (hopefully).**

**Chapter 10**

**Preparation**

Carlos shut the door calmly behind him. Or he tried to make it seem calm, at least. His mind wasn't the least bit calm.

A psychic was already waiting in the corner of the room, a tall, thin, and elegant Gardevoir. Without needing to be told, she bowed her head and began a soft chant.

The large Raichu could feel her mental energy flow over his body, but just let it go. The sooner this was done, the better.

Around him, the room seemed to fade into a black emptiness. It was still there, but he was now incapable of seeing it because of the link. The psychic in his room was transmitting his mind to another room. It was quite useful, but only used for special matters because of the strain it put on the psychics.

Another room appeared, this one of perfectly round stone. Before him sat a row of twelve beings behind a long, curved table. This was the Council, the collection of the most powerful beings on the planet. This was the reason for his fears. As was customary, he bowed, placing his fingertips to his forehead. "Naris."

"Fan," the one at the center spoke. The woman's face and body was covered in fine white fur; behind her gently waved nine tails. She was the voted head of the Council. "We are anxious to meet the human. Have you prepared her?"

Carlos looked up, scanning each member of the council in turn. Several of them were paranoid enough to jump at any hint of weakness. He would have compassion from some, but would it be enough to help him? "Sadly, no. We have yet to properly prepared her."

"I sense hesitation," another one said. That one was avian, with long feathers sprouting and flowing back along his head. "What could be taking so long?"

"Do not lie to us, Fan."

He couldn't help but fidget. They would tell if he was lying. "The human… The human is no longer under our care." A gentle whisper of murmurs rose from the Council. "She was taken by several men earlier today, "he clarified. "We are still in the process of locating her."

"Were they human?" the Ninetails asked plainly.

"I thank the Spirits they were not," Carlos answered. This seemed to draw a sigh of relief from them. "We are close to discovering their identity, and once we do, we will have her back within our custody."

The Ninetails turned and whispered some words to the Luxray next to her. The whispers continued down the line as they each consulted each other.

In the silence, Carlos could sense his chances whither away. They would not take too kindly to his losing the one human that could see them all for what they truly were. It was now only a question of how mad they were.

After several anxious minutes, they turned towards him. "It has been decided," the Ninetails said. "You have three days to retrieve her. If you have failed to do so within that time, we will find other methods of retrieving her."

The large man repressed his own sigh of relief. That should be enough time. He bowed again. "Thank you, Naris. May the Spirits above watch over you."

"And over you."

The room faded and his office returned to view. The psychic slipped through the door silently, leaving him to his thoughts for a moment.

Carlos's mind instantly began calculating. Three days should be more than enough time. But what would happen if he couldn't get them? He didn't really want to think about that.

A knock rang at his door. "Sir, we've found them."

THE SILENCE WAS starting to get to Chloe. But she still couldn't get herself to talk after the horror she had witness only minutes ago.

Anai, who was walking beside her, sensed the girl's turmoil. "You are curious, aren't you?" she asked softly. Chloe nodded. Anai looked at Scott for a moment, but he was still leading with his back turned to them. "Sain and I, we are twins. Among the Eon's, that creates a special bond between us. We are able to combine our powers in order to do things that ordinary beings would find impossible."

"But you killed them," she said suddenly. The vision of the bodies bleeding on the ground caused her to shake.

Anai grew silent. "It was not my wish. But those things happen."

"We should get her ready," Scott suddenly said, effectively ending the conversation. "She needs to blend in somehow."

"We could pretend she were marked," Anai suggested. "As long as she acts well, she should go unnoticed."

Scott nodded. "Works for me."

Chloe was beginning to accept that these two knew what was best to keep her safe, so just nodded and waited for Anai to explain. But she couldn't help but notice that Scott was becoming more and more withdrawn the further they went.

"Among our people, we have humans that do work for us. They are a sort of slave, but they are mindless and incapable of their own thoughts." Anai looked down at her. "If this is to work, you will have to pretend as if you aren't thinking anything. No emotions, no feelings. Nothing."

"I'm not sure I can do that."

"You'll have to," Scott said.

CARLOS BURST INTO the control room. "Where is she?"

"We don't know, sir," one of the men at the monitor said.

He stopped, his face growing red. "I thought you said we had them!"

"Sir." Carlos turned at the voice. His lead Commander, the Arcanine Jaruk, stood by the door. A good portion of his arms were covered in medical tape. "Forgive me, sir. They managed to escape. But we do know who they are."

A bit of Carlos's anger subsided. "Go on."

"There are two helping her. Both of them are Eons, one fire and one water."

Carlos nodded with a smile. This was good. "Where is the nearest Eon village?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Approximately seven miles south of the city," someone answered.

Again, Carlos nodded as everything began to fit. "They'll take her to their village, try to hide her away." He scanned the room, finding Hung. "How long will it take you?"

The man thought silently. "A day of preparation. Perhaps an hour of execution."

"Go."

And that was all. The man had his own way of working and Carlos knew better than to go against his way.

Yes, three days would be more than enough.

CHLOE STOOD IN suppressed awe, her eyes looking up into the trees. Scott and Anai stood on either side of her, looking up at the same sight. The very trees grew into bulbs just below the canopy. Limbs spread and melded together, creating bridges between the massive trunks. And the entire scene was aglow with yellow light that spilled from hundreds of windows in the trees.

"Welcome to the Village of the Forest."

_**End Part I**_

**A/N: Wow. What a trip. But this is only half of the story. We will now take a (hopefully) brief intermission. But make sure you keep your eyes open for Part II. Until then, don't forget those reviews that you all love so much and Tata For Now.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Ah, it's good to be back. I hope you all have enjoyed our little sabbatical. I haven't. I'm anxious to get the second half of the story underway. So, without further ado…**

_**Begin Part II**_

**Chapter 11**

**Homecoming**

"Welcome to the Village of the Forest."

Anai started to walk again, angling towards the closest tree. Chloe began to follow, but stopped when Scott remained where he stood, his eyes still gazing up at the tree-top village.

She stepped back, touching Scott's shoulder. "Are you ok?"

Her touch and voice shocked him out of his past. He looked down into her eyes. "Fine."

But she could sense in his words and see in his forced smile that he was blatantly lying. He didn't want to be here.

Anai stopped at the base of the tree and called back to them, "Come on."

Scott walked over, forcing Chloe to hold her tongue. With a touch from Anai's hand, a portion of the tree slid to the side, revealing a hollow center. Anai turned to Chloe. "This will feel strange. Just remember what we told you."

At first she didn't understand. But then Anai stepped through into the tree and suddenly vanished. Scott looked at her once before following and also vanishing. Chloe shook her head in amazement. "No one is going to believe this," she said to herself. She took a deep breath before stepping into the chamber.

As soon as she was completely in the space, it felt like her head was spinning and her stomach got pulled down into her feet. A moment later, she was stepping out onto a long, flat branch. She turned back, seeing a completely empty chamber just like down below.

A hand touched her shoulder, and she turned back to look at Scott. He was giving her a stern look. She understood; she had to pretend like this was just an every-day thing. With a force of will, she set her face and they continued walking.

They quickly entered the thick of the village, and Chloe found it harder and harder to hold her face still. All around her, the strange Pokemorph creatures walked across the branches. They were all one of three types: Flareon, Vaporeon, or Leafeon. Their dress consisted of hide or sewn leaves, much more primitive dress than what Anai and Scott wore. She also noticed a few humans mixed among them, but they all went about with blank stares. A number of younger creatures that sported brown fur ran across their path with a shout of laughter. They must have been Eevee children.

Her attention next turned to the village itself. It was just like an old feudal-age town. The branches acted as the pathways between the thick, hollowed trees that seemed to act as their homes and villages. A number of branches led upwards or downwards, created levels to the space. More than once, she had to force herself to close her mouth, which had fallen open in awe.

Within minutes, she became lost as they rose up a level, passed over several seamless branches, and rose again. So she decided to not pay as much attention to where they went and merely continued to observe her surroundings. She noticed that a good number of those around them stopped their work to stare at them. A few wore masks of surprise on their faces. She forced herself to not openly state her question.

They turned from the main path and moved downwards towards a large tree. Unbidden, the bark flowed apart, opening to a hollow center. Even before they entered, Chloe could see furnishings similar to those found in a human living room.

As they passed through the threshold, the bark closed behind them. Chloe immediately turned but could not find a single seam to betray the entrance. "This is incredible," she said giddily, her composure vanishing. As she turned, she took in the room. In several places, the wood had been molded to form chair-like outcroppings. In the center of the room, a square section was raised slightly to form a table. But all of it flowed perfectly into the walls and floors. Not a single cut could be seen. "How was this made?"

"Those among the Forest Path are able to influence how plants grow," Anai explained as she moved to the other side of the room. "They created every single room and home in the entire village. By the way…" Anai moved to a small box at the far room and opened a hinged lid, revealing a stash of berries. "If you're ever hungry, we've got plenty of berries."

Chloe looked around again, this time for Scott, who had vanished. "Where did Scott go?"

Anai pointed to the wall next to Chloe. "Down in his room."

She turned, just now noticing a doorway that held a ramp that curved downwards. Directly across from it, a ramp curved upwards to a floor above. She took the one downwards.

The floor below, Scott was lounging on a thick bed of leaves. The room was quite plain, she noticed. There was only the bed and a single window that looked out over the village.

His eyes gazed at a single spot on the ceiling even as she stepped out. "Hey," she said softly. "You ok?" His eyes held the spot. The silence held firm, refusing to be broken. She continued, "I'm sorry if being here is painful for you."

He finally turned his head towards her, but only for a moment before returning his gaze to the ceiling.

"Won't you say something?" she pleaded. "Tell me what you're thinking."

His eyes closed as he drew in a deep breath. "I once swore I'd never set foot near this village again." He slid to his feet and moved to look out the window. "Yet here I am."

"I'm sorry. If it would be better for you to be somewhere else…"

"No," he said quickly, cutting her off as he turned back to her. "Anai was right. This is probably the safest place for you. As long as you remain hidden."

Chloe didn't miss it. He was using her as his excuse for coming back. It was her fault. Now would probably be the time to ask what had been on her mind. "You never told me why you're so adamant about protecting me." He sighed again, turning back to the window. "You still love me, don't you?"

The silence returned more stifling than before. Without seeing his face, Chloe could only guess at what was going through his mind until he spoke. "I honestly don't know. After what happened, my mind tells me that I shouldn't."

Her mind's eye turned to the past and that horrible week. "Scott, I'm sorry for what I did. I don't have any excuses, but I wish I could go back and stop it all."

"I wish you could too. But the fact is that it happened. And now…" His hand reached up and ran it through a tuft of his hair, continuing down through his mane. "Now, I don't know what to think or feel."

A flurry of footsteps pounded down the ramp. Anai twisted into the space, holding a hand to the wall to catch herself. "He's here."

Scott held his gaze over the village a moment later before turning. "Let's get this over with."

Chloe looked between them, lost. Anai saw her gaze. She simply said, "Time for you to meet our father."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Reunion**

Chloe followed Anai back up to the living room. The whole way, she whispered softly over her shoulder, "If you have to speak, the proper word for respect is _Junee._ Don't say anything unless he asks you. Remember, no will of your own." Chloe just nodded silently.

She stopped just at the top of the ramp and looked into the room. A man was standing in the center, waiting. He stood tall, well over six feet. His skin was sleek and blue, displaying a beauty and elegance despite his size and musculature. A plain white tunic fell down to his knees.

The man turned at the sound of their entrance. Chloe could instantly see the similarities between him and Scott. But as he saw them, his eyebrows furrowed. "Hello, Sain," he said in a deep, stern voice.

"Hello, Harun," Scott replied, his voice emotionless. They stared into each other's eyes, neither moving a muscle.

Harun broke the silence. "So what brings you back to the village?"

Scott shrugged. "I was in the forest. Needed a place to crash."

He gave Scott a hard stare, almost like he was testing his son. "Somehow, I doubt that that is the case." His eyes drifted over to Chloe. "Your human is not marked."

Scott and Anai both turned to her. She tried to keep her face perfectly straight, but couldn't help but betray a hint of surprise.

The siblings looked at each other. "We could use his help," Anai whispered, reading Scott's thoughts.

"No," Scott replied harshly. "I don't want him involved with this."

"Whether you want me involved or not is beyond questioning now," their father spoke over them. "The fact that you are here has gotten me involved. Now…" His eyes seemed the pierce into Scott's soul. "Why are you here?"

Scott's eyes passed between Anai and Chloe as his mind desperately tried to come up with something. But in the end, he gave in. "She has been to the Temple of Vall."

Instantly, slowly, Harun's eyes bulged and turned towards her. "She sees?"

"Yes."

The large man took several steps backwards and suddenly said something under his breath in a strange tongue. Then, at Scott, "This creature must be destroyed."

"No!" Scott stepped to the side, putting his body between then. "I won't let you do that."

"You know the legend, Sain," his father hissed. "The human that sees will be the death of our entire race."

"The legend says that a human would when they see," Scott said back. "That doesn't mean every human that can see us will."

Again, the two glared at each other. After a moment, a wave of understanding seemed to pass over Harun's face. "You have feelings for this human?"

Scott turned back, looked into Chloe's eyes, and returned his gaze to his father, but didn't say a word.

The silence only made him madder. "You have defiled yourself and our way of life. If I were not your father, I would kill you where you stand." He stepped forward.

Scott took a slightly defensive stance, but Harun simply moved around him towards the door. Just at the door, he stopped. "I want you out of my village." The door opened and he was gone.

The room took on a heavy silence. Scott moved over and sat on one of the chair with a heavy breath.

"That went well," Chloe said with a fake smile. No one answered her cheerfulness. "So what do we do now?" she asked, her voice going sober.

"We stick with the plan," Scott said. "Keep you hidden here until we can find somewhere better."

Anai looked at him, puzzled. "But father just said…"

"We aren't going anywhere," he interrupted. "I don't care what he says."

A loud knock suddenly hit the door. "Sain? Sain, are you here?" a female voice called.

Scott instantly jumped up from his seat. "Oh, shit. She found me already?"

Anai was suddenly beside him, pushing him towards his room. "Go. I'll cover you."

Chloe got nudged out of the way in the confusion. "What? Who's here?"

He was pushed into the hall, and with a wave of Anai's hand, the door closed. "Don't worry about it." She walked over to the door and it slid open.

A smaller Flareon girl came charging inside. "I heard Sain came home! Where is he?" She went suddenly bouncing around, searching every nook and cranny. "Where are you, Sain?"

Anai managed to catch the flying furball. "Eiya, calm down." After a moment of struggling, the girl relaxed. "Sain isn't here."

The girl's face instantly went soft. "He's not?"

"No."

Tears appeared in her eyes. With a burst, she was crying loudly. "AAAAhhhhh. Saaaaaiiiinnn…" She tore back out the door, crying the whole way. "Sain, come hooooommmme."

Chloe pulled herself up from the wall. "Who was that?"

Anai closed the door. "That was Sain's stalker. If you ever need something for blackmail on him, she's good."

But the girl didn't really understand, so she didn't really dwell on it. Besides, she had some questions she needed to ask Scott. When she touched her hand to the wall, the panel slid open, revealing the descending ramp. But when she went down, Scott wasn't there.

She came back up. "Scott's not downstairs."

"Oh, he probably went to the temple," Anai said as she came out of the 'kitchen' holding a berry. "That's where he went whenever he got mad or upset about something."

Chloe's eyes fell, and Anai could see her wish. "Go out to the main branch and turn left. Keep walking until you see the burned tree," she said. "You can't miss it."

Chloe looked to the door cautiously. "Are you sure? It's ok for me to go out alone?"

Anai nodded. "Just don't draw attention to yourself. And if you don't see him there, come right back."

She wasn't sure, but her desire to speak with Scott overthrew her cautiousness. She stepped out through the opening bark. The sun was beginning to set and cast an orange light over the village. There were still a surprising number of people out.

Keeping her face as straight as possible, Chloe began towards where she hoped was the temple and hopefully Scott.

**A/N: Another reader-created character. He probably thought I forgot about it. But I didn't.**

**Why does nobody leave reviews? Please don't forget to leave one before you leave.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: And still no one reviews. I wonder if people haven't been watching since they still think this story is on hold? Well, that can't be helped. But if you are reading, please don't forget your review.**

**And thank you if you are reviewing.**

**Chapter 13**

**Exploring the Village**

Chloe turned left just as Anai told her and began to walk. The golden sunset created streaks of light through the branches and cast a gilded appearance to the trees and its occupants, adding a surreal feel to the entire scene.

As if it wasn't surreal enough.

Her eyes drifted over the villagers that she passed. They were truly beautiful creatures. They showed all of the distinctive traits of their species: the leaf-tipped ears of the Leafeon to the elegant physique of the Vaporeon; yet with all of the docility and intelligence of a human. She found herself staring on numerous occasions and forced herself to look away.

They went about their tasks just as she did. A few of them were collecting wares spread across the ground. One Leafeon lady was bartering with a Flareon over a long piece of wood. She paused, watching him balance it before twirling it around his arm. He handed it back and the Leafeon passed her hand over it. To Chloe's astonishment, the wood seemed to melt and shift under her touch. After only a second, she handed it back and he spun it again, seeming pleased.

Her mind quickly began making mental notes. They didn't seem to use any form of currency. And as she walked, she saw large collections of wares that were left completely unattended. If they had any sense of ownership, it was clear that all respected it. It was a very primitive yet peaceful form of economy. She wondered if they did this out of necessity or by choice.

So distracted by her thoughts was she that she nearly passed by the large burned tree. All of the other trees around it were bright and alive, yet the single tree was burned completely black. The limbs bore no leaves and scratched at the air with pointed branches. It was also notably larger than all of the others. The place gave her sense of dark foreboding. But Scott was probably in there, so she turned down the branch towards it. A large Flareon man stood guard outside of the door, but he made no motion to stop her, so she simply walked inside.

The inside of the building looked just like the outside. The air was also a lot hotter. Within moments, Chloe was uncomfortable. She would have to find Scott quickly. The problem was that she had no clue about where to go inside of the building. She randomly chose the first hallway on her left, passing several Flareon on her way. With a touch of surprise, she noted that she could distinguish individual characteristics among them even though they all looked extremely alike. She hoped Scott would stand out enough for her to find him.

She followed the hall through several turns and doors before finding herself in a large room. Large fires burned along the floors of the walls, casting a brilliant orange light into the chamber. The chamber was filled with Flareon, some male and some female, training. A number were sparring within designated rings. Chloe tried to enter, but the fire proved too hot for her. Luckily, she couldn't see Scott anywhere within the gym, so she moved on.

The temple actually sported a number of gym-type chambers. And she somehow had the luck to find every single one and not find Scott. Just when she thought she would never find him, she happened upon another door. This one was a deep brown with the words "Meditation Chamber" chiseled into it.

Inside, there were a large number of Flareon spread out, sitting on the floor in his or her own individual positions. There were flames along the wall just like the others, but these were not nearly so strong, allowing her to enter. After only a moment of scanning, she spotted Scott sitting cross-legged in the back corner wearing a deep-red robe.

She stepped through the crowd of pokemorphs, careful not to disturb any of them. They all paid her no mind; most of them were too deep in their thoughts to even notice her. When she reached Scott, she knelt to her knees. "Scott…"

His tail made a tiny swish, but he made no other movement to show his surprise. "I'm surprised you managed to find me," he answered in barely a whisper.

"It wasn't easy," she said back, matching his whisper. "Could we go somewhere and talk?"

His eyes drifted open and he looked at her. "Sure."

He stood and they walked back through the hallways and out to the main branch. The sun had fully set, but strange orbs of light glowed in the treetops, casting just enough light to for her to see by. Scott seemed to be able to see well enough in the light, though. The night air sent a chill through her arms as the temperature changed suddenly.

Scott noticed her shiver. "Here." He slipped the robe from his shoulders and laid it across hers.

"Thank you," she said, wrapping it around her. "I'll be fine in a moment."

"I'm surprised you managed the fires as well as you did. Most can't stand more than a few minutes."

"Well, I stayed out of the hotter areas." She looked around the trees. The globes' light created shadows through the woods that threw her eyesight off. It made her head hurt trying to keep everything straight, so she just focused on the path.

"So what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

She took a breath. "I wanted to talk about us." He was silent for a moment. "Scott, what did your father mean earlier?"

Scott looked away into the trees. "It hasn't been openly stated, but the humans are our sworn enemies. Any of us falling in love with a human was always been grounds for being completely exiled."

"And you still went out with me?" she asked.

"I was already practically disowned by my father. What else did I have to lose?"

Chloe was suddenly found herself silent, torn between her emotions. "I… I'm sorry. I didn't realize…"

"Just how messed up my life was?" he finished with a smile. He ran his hand through his head fur. She could see in his motions that his smile was forced.

"Scott, are you helping me because you still love me?"

He remained silent for several anxious seconds. "Maybe I am. I don't really know why I'm helping you." He looked over at her. "But I can't see you getting hurt." This time, he smiled genuinely.

In that smile, she could see a flitter of feelings for her. Now her emotions were in even more of a tumble.

"But he was right," Scott continued. "I'm still part of these people. And part of me wants to keep that."

Everything in her heart drained except for the feeling of dread. He hadn't said it, but that was essentially a dump, wasn't it? But she kept her face straight. "I understand."

Scott looked up back down the path. His hand suddenly latched onto hers and he pulled her down a side branch. She cried out, but he threw his hand over her mouth.

A moment later, a body came past, walking along the path. He was tall and blue. On each hand, he had a long red claw that extended just past his fingertips. But his strangest feature was a large red bubble that seemed to grow out of his chin and connect to his chest.

Chloe's mind quickly found a counterpart: Toxicroak. But a moment later, she made another connection. She didn't know how or why, but she knew him. He had kidnapped her.

Scott held her down until he had passed and then they were gone down the branch.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Loyalties**

The large Toxicroak man, his name Hung, gave Harun a shiver. The simple fact that he was here was a large statement about his abilities. The transportation chambers were originally enchanted to only allow their own bloodline and those with them to enter the village by normal means. And yet here the man sat across from the low table.

"I must thank you for seeing me on such short notice," Hung said. He picked up a small cup from the table filled with steaming berry tea.

Harun simply watched the man sip it, his own cup still sitting near. "Any man serving the Keepers is welcome in my home." He kept his voice level with a touch of firmness.

Hung noted the tone. The village head didn't want him there and he wasn't afraid to make it perfectly clear. "Now, to the matters we need to discuss. Perhaps you had heard rumors, but Vall's temple has been opened." He watched Harun's eyes blink gently. "By a human." There was barely any response. "You don't seem surprised by this."

Harun simply shrugged. "I had heard rumors. I normally do not attribute rumors such as these with any truth. They are most often filthy rubbish that lowly wives create to pass time and interest."

"I can assure you," Hung said firmly, "that this is no simple rumor." His poison sack rippled with a rumble.

"May I ask, then, why you have come to me?" Harun already knew the answer, but it would be better to create the illusion of innocence.

"We know that there are two Eons helping her, one fire and one water. They were last seen moving towards your village."

"And you believe that they are hiding her in my village," he finished.

Hung nodded. "It would be a good place. You are a line that still employs marked humans."

Harun had to pause and weigh his words carefully. A slip would completely leave him open. "The legend of Vall's temple is well known. I am certain that you would wish to keep such knowledge repressed as much as possible."

"Of course."

"Then I am sure that you understand why I would be hesitant to order a search of the village. The people would demand an explanation."

"You will not tell them."

"But I will not lie to them."

Again Hung's poison sac rippled with annoyance. "I don't believe you understand the position you are in."

"The same could be said of you. The Keepers are not all-powerful, Mr. Hung." It took a high level of control for Harun to keep his voice level.

Hung glared at him. "We shall see." He took one last sip of the berry tea and stood from the low table. "We know she is here. You will produce the human by midday. If we believe you are holding out somehow, we will take matters into our own hands. Good night, sir."

The room fell silent as Hung bowed and stepped out. The wall slid shut behind him.

Harun's hands, which had been sitting patiently in his lap, came up to support his chin. Curse the Spirits for this.

His hand came around, smacking his small cup of tea off the table.

Curse every one of them.

SCOTT GAVE ANAI the news as soon as they got back to the tree. And now they sat around the main room debating on their next move.

"There's no way he'll take this public," Anai said in thought. "He can't risk the panic."

"How safe do you think it would be to just stay here?" Chloe asked.

"Hard to say. It's a big village, but it won't take him long to find you," Anai answered.

"What about going somewhere else?"

"There are three other villages, but there's no way we could reach them in any reasonable amount of time."

"Safron City should be only a day away. How about there?"

"We could. It's easy to hide in a crowd."

Chloe looked over at Scott, who had remained silent the entire time. His mind seemed to be somewhere else at the moment. She wondered what he could be thinking about.

A voice outside called out, breaking into the room. "Sain!"

Everyone looked up. Scott was the first up and to the door, it opening automatically.

His father, Harun, stood on the branch pathway directly outside. The glowing orbs above them created dark shadows that stretched across his face. "Sain, he's here. It's time for you to give this up."

The blatant statement through Scott off guard. He looked around. People were already starting to look out of their windows to check on the noise.

Anai caught the subtlety, though. He never said anything about Chloe. To anyone watching, it would only appear like a simple argument.

After his moment of shock, Scott finally answered back. "No. We aren't going to just hand her over."

"Sain, think about what you're doing," Harun pleaded.

"I have." He turned back to his sister and Chloe. "We're leaving."

Harun sighed. "I didn't want to have to use force." Chloe saw his face suddenly get stone hard. "But there is too much at stake." The man thrust his hand forward. A rush of wind passed over him, kicking up his robe. Steam leapt from his palm as a tight jet that flew at Scott's back.

Scott suddenly turned, pushing his fist at the steam jet. A beam of fire cut through the steam, dissipating it. At the same time, he dashed forward, following in the path of his counterattack.

Harun hadn't expected any force and the fire attack surprised him. It struck him dead in the chest. His element advantage made the damage minimal, but the force of it made him lose balance. And then Scott was there slamming a fire-powered fist into his chest.

The two crashed together. Harun howled as he fell backwards. He backpedaled to find his balance, but ran out of ground first. His body started to fall over the edge of the branch, but Scott's hand suddenly grabbed onto his robe.

The entire scene occurred in the span of a few seconds and ended with Harun's body teetering over a hundred foot drop and his only saving grace his son's grip.

The man looked down to the ground and then up into his son's eyes. "You would put your faith them over your own people?"

Scott shifted his feet, grunting as he struggled to keep his father airborne. "I'm putting my faith in her."

"She's a human," Harun said harshly.

"Times change. If we don't start trusting them, what's the alternative?" He paused to let his words sink in. With a heavy pull, he hauled the man back onto his feet.

The two stood side-by-side for several seconds. Harun simply glared at Scott. "Get out. I will not be held responsible."

HUNG WATCHED FROM a branch above as the group of three walked out of the tree and down the path. A crowd had formed from the ruckus, the rising sun casting light over the scene.

The man smiled and tagged along, staying out of sight.

**A/N: **Yep. We're getting to several good fights. I hope you all aren't stupid enough to leave now.

And I hope you aren't stupid enough to not leave reviews. *hint hint*


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Confrontation**

Carlos sat at his desk, heart thumping loudly in his ear. Hung should have called in by now. One night of planning, then the day for operations. But he should have heard something. "This is taking him too long," he said to himself.

"There are better ways of taking her," a hissing voice whispered from somewhere behind him.

The man's fur stood on his neck as a chill shivered down his spine. He knew that voice, which was exactly why he didn't turn to look. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard that you were in need of some assistance."

"I don't need it from you," he said fiercely, keeping his eyes on the desk in front of him.

The other being laughed. "You said the same thing last time." This time the voice came from directly behind Carlos's ear. "But I have no doubt you will turn again." There was a quiet rush of wind and then the room was silent.

Carlos shivered again. He should have killed that man when he had the chance. He pressed a button on his phone. "Send a scout to the village. I want to know how much progress Hung has made."

CHLOE SILENTLY FOLLOWED Scott and Anai through the village. They didn't take the same route that they came in on. Instead, they headed in a direction that she guessed was roughly westward. They'd probably try to make for Safron City.

After a while, the number of tree homes began to diminish until the branch they were on was practically deserted. With the silence, Chloe thought it was safe to speak her mind. "Scott, you don't have to sacrifice so much for me."

He just laughed. "I'm not sacrificing anything that I haven't already."

Chloe looked to Anai for some encouragement, but the other woman simply shook her head.

The branch ended at a relatively thin tree with a cylindrical cavity molded into it. It was identical to the teleport chamber they came in through. And sure enough, Scott stepped into it and instantly vanished. The women followed and they continued to walk along the forest floor.

A body stepped out from behind a tree as they left sight of the village. "Nice day for a walk, isn't it?" Hung asked.

The group stopped in their tracks. Scott shifted slightly, moving a hand in front of Chloe. "What do you want?"

"What do you think?" He gestured a hand at Chloe. "Hand her over and I won't kill you."

"Not a chance."

"Scott…" Chloe put a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her. Her throat clung to the words she had intended, asking him not to risk himself again for her sake. But the moment she looked into his eyes, she saw a fire in their depths she couldn't understand. There was love and passion that took her breath away. "Be careful," was all she could manage.

Scott nodded and looked to Anai. "Take her somewhere safe."

Anai's head snapped towards him. "You're going to fight him alone?"

"I'll be fine. Just keep her safe."

She knew she couldn't argue with him once his mind was made up so she nodded and stating pulling her off into the woods.

"Oh no you don't." Hung was suddenly charging in from the side, one of his claws flashing towards Anai's chest.

Scott burst between them, twisting his body and expelling fire into an expanding shield, throwing both parties away from each other. Only Anai managed to find her feet.

"You're fight's with me."

Hung twisted to his feet, but Anai and Chloe were already gone. Scott stood, waiting. The large sac at his chin rippled as the man let out a sort of growl. "Annoying pest. The world will be better without you." Internally, he began pumping poison to the claws that extended from his wrists, causing them to drip their deadly venom.

The two fell into fighting positions. Scott dropped one foot back and held his hands in front, open. Hung raised his fists to just below his chin with his elbows outwards. For a second, they stared down, daring each other to make the first move.

Hung leapt first, charging forward with his claws held back along his side. Scott answered by thrusting his hands forward and releasing a jet of fire. But Hung pushed off the ground, twisting in midair to avoid the flame. He hit the ground running, never losing any speed.

The single exchange allowed Hung to get in close. His left hand swung, a bead of poison perched on his claw's tip. Scott caught his wrist, stopping his attack dead. But then Hung's other claw thrust in to Scott's chest. Scott released, spinning around. He could feel the claw slide through his fur. His hand grabbed at Hung's shoulder to pin him, but he was already moving outward.

Hung jumped into the air, doing a tight twist just over the ground. He swung his arm wide, shooting poison out in an arc. Scott didn't see the surprise move coming and the poison splashed onto his face. Out of instinct, Scott began to twist on the balls of his feet, releasing fire into a dome around him. Hung was already charging and slammed head-first into a wall of flame that threw him back outwards. Scott took the momentary reprieve to wipe the poison from his cheeks, thankful that it missed his eyes and mouth.

Already Scott's muscles were getting worn. The Path of Fire's fighting style was simple: fight hard and take out your opposition quickly. He should have killed or maimed Hung long before now. He'd have to end the fight now.

Scott charged, knowing that Hung was waiting for it. Hung slashed with his claws as Scott entered close quarters. Scott jumped, narrowly dodging the poison attack, and twisted to land behind Hung. Hung launched forward to get away, but Scott was ready and came after him. When Hung twisted to spray his poison again. Scott effortlessly caught the claw mid-swing and twisted the arm so that it collapsed into itself and plunged the claw into Hung's stomach.

They hit the ground and Scott quickly jumped away. Hung's body tumbled for several yards. After a moment, Hung pushed himself up with a pained groan, holding the claw to his stomach. It took only seconds for the poison to reach his heart. His muscles locked up and he collapsed.

The sadness he always felt over killing another swept over him. It was an evil he forced himself to get through. He crouched over Hung's body. "Spirits, guide his soul home."

He left the clearing heading west. Shortly after, Anai and Chloe joined him and they continued on in silence.

"OUR SCOUT JUST reported in, sir," his assistant told him through the phone. "Hung has been killed."

Carlos checked himself, making sure he had heard that right. There was no way that Hung would be killed. Not by them. Unless these Eons helping Chloe were stronger than they thought.

"It seems you need me more than you thought," the hissing voice returned.

Carlos quickly cut the phone line. "I'm not going to get help from you."

"Please. We both know you aren't above it. And your time is slowly slipping away. How much time do you have left? A day?"

He had a point, Carlos thought to himself. Could he do it?

SARA, A VULPIX maid for the building, was passing by Carlos's room when she heard a voice inside. "You must bring her back alive."

But it was the sinister laugh that made her stop and peak through the crack at the edge of the door. A creature was standing behind Carlos's chair. Its skin was covered in fine brown fur; its face, however, was encased in a bleached-white skull. One eye socket was dark and the other seemed to be glowing with a yellow eye.

The thing's skull seemed to smile. "Alive, I can promise. But I cannot guarantee the condition."

Sara backed away from the door, fear tearing through her spine, and ran down the hall, stifling her scream the entire way.

**A/N: Another of the reader's characters. I think this is the last one.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Saffron City**

When Scott had first told her how many Pokemorphs there were, Chloe was surprised. But the moment that she walked into Saffron City, she was completely blown away. It seemed that one out of every three people they passed was covered in some sort of fur or hide. And it wasn't simply Eeveelutions either. Within the first minute, she spotted an Ivysaur, Vulpix, Chatot, Piplup, Tangela (which really threw her off), and an Arbok. She turned and watched as the Arbok slid by on a tail, the only humanoid piece of it being his upper body.

Anai quickly gave her a shove. "Don't stare. Someone will figure out what's going on if you look for too long." But even with her warning, she was finding it difficult not to.

The Pokemorph seemed to blend with the humans. They wore the same type of clothing, talked with each other, acted in nearly the same manner. The humans were oblivious to the fascinating beings around them.

"This is incredible," Chloe said to herself.

"The single greatest collection of our people is here in Saffron," Scott answered. "I keep an apartment on the edge of the park. We can hide there."

"Wouldn't they be able to trace your name?" Anai asked with concern.

"No. It's under a false name."

She nodded, at least temporarily satisfied.

Chloe barely heard the exchange. Her eyes continued to drift around, catching every strange body they passed. A Magmar, Crobat, Vibrava… The list kept getting longer the further they went. Occasionally, they passed one or two that she couldn't quite place. The closest she could match was a strange combination of two species. The most peculiar was a woman with the gills and twin tails of a Buizel, but yellow fur, red cheeks, and pointed ears of a Pikachu.

With her attention on those around her, it was almost no time at all before they arrived at a modest apartment building. Chloe wasn't nearly as surprised as she should have been when they past a Meowth lady their way up.

Scott's apartment opened up into a small living space with a kitchen. A small hallway with three doors led to a bathroom and two bedrooms.

As soon as they girls were inside, Scott stepped back out. "Get her settled in. I'm going to the store for some food. Be back in a few minutes."

CARLOS PACED THE halls anxiously. It had been nearly thirteen hours since he'd made that infernal deal.

He checked his watch. It was down to 35 hours before he was to meet the council with the prisoner he didn't have.

But to go to these lengths to do it? If the council found out, they'd put him to death for sure.

The hideous face of his counterpart filled his mind's eye. The Bonemen. Hideous spawn born in the wake of the Shroud. No one knew how or why, but something about the spell that blinded the humans had created the grotesque creatures that existed between life and death. They were sadistic, masochistic, and extremely hard to kill.

And he'd just made a deal with one of them. It wasn't unheard of. The human's weren't the only ones that had underground gangs. Theirs were bigger, but not as powerful. And when an assassination was needed, you could be sure that a Boneman was at the killing end.

It became bad enough that the Council of old had ordered them all found and exterminated. Very few were left alive. In fact, as one of the Keepers, Carlos was partially responsible for finding and killing the rest of them.

He had done this once before, of course. But that was an event he wanted to push from his mind. The final line was that he got away with it and swore to never do it again.

This time he would make sure it was the last time. But he couldn't turn it in. The moment he gave it away, it would squeal about him. Carlos was in a no-win situation. His only hope was that the Boneman came through on his half with Chloe mostly intact. Then he would pay the beast and be done with it.

The catch was hoping Chloe came back intact.

He continued pacing the halls, trying to clear his head.

SCOTT WAS WALKING out of the store when his cell phone suddenly chirped. He moved the bags to his other hand and quickly dug out the small device holding it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Sain of the Forest Village?"

His feet stopped. No one that knew him would ask that. "Who is this?"

"That's not important. Are you Sain?"

He recognized the voice as a woman's and quickly glanced around, checking the sidewalk for anyone that might be watching. "Yes."

"Oh, thank the Spirits. Listen you are in danger. Carlos knows where you are. I think he's sent a Boneman."

Scott's breath froze as a ripple of terror pierced his spine. "How do you know?"

"I'm a maid at the building. I heard them."

"How long ago?"

"This morning…"

He shut the phone and dropped the bags, rushing through the streets. Anyone that got in his way was quickly shoved aside, but he didn't care anymore.

It took him five minutes to get to the apartment and tear through the door. "Chloe?"

Chloe looked up from the sofa. Anai stepped out from the hall. "Scott?"

He jumped forward and pulled Chloe to her feet. "We're leaving. Now!" As he turned, he saw Anai's questioning face. "Boneman."

The one word was all she needed. The three were instantly running out of the building.

When they hit the alleys, Anai asked, "Are you sure? I thought the Bonemen were all killed."

"Apparently there's one after us," Scott said without looking back at her.

"A Boneman?" Chloe asked.

"You don't want to know."

Something long and thin suddenly pierced into the asphalt ahead of them. They slid to a stop, halting just feet short of it. The top looked like it was sculpted into a bone shape; the lower half was a white sword, the edges slick with blood.

A sound reached Chloe's ear. It started softly and then grew: a sickening laugh that seemed to tear at her soul. Her eyes looked up towards the rooftops. A body was crouched on a corner, peering down at them. A single yellow eye caught hers. The gaze pierced through her, drawing out a terror so powerful she thought she would scream.

But the scream didn't come. Scott pulled her down another side alley and ran. Two more turns and they ducked into a door. The silence and darkness overwhelmed them, creating a deathly silence. A window haphazardly covered with boards allowed in minimum light. Scott gave a quick jerk across his throat and fell silent. Even his breath seemed to vanish.

A shadow passed over the window. Through the cracks, Chloe was just able to see him. His fur was brown, but his skin seemed flabby, like there was little muscle underneath. Across his face was something that looked like a bone-white skull that completely covered his head. Seeing the skull, the terror came again, but this time the scream lodged in her throat. And then a moment later, he was gone.

Seconds later, a large sigh passed through the room. Chloe sat as her heart slowly stopped pounding. "What was with that mask?"

Scott shook his head. "That wasn't a mask."

A hand bashed against the window. A yellow eye glared through the cracks in the planks.

"I see you."


	17. Chapter 17

**Warning: This chapter contains material that some may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.**

**Chapter 17**

**The Boneman**

They ran. Through the building, out another alley, and through the streets. Chloe was pulled along by Scott's firm grasp.

But her vision was still filled with that stare. That yellow eye that threw her entire state of mind into a living hell that wouldn't end. And that voice… It still scratched at her ears.

Scott turned quickly, pushing Chloe into corner. Anai slid in next to him. "Do you think we lost him?"

"Not a chance," the throaty voice answered. He slid from the wall, almost materializing from the shadow itself. His eye glowed wickedly. One of his hands flashed forward, spitting a tiny white projectile.

Scott twisted to one side, the bullet piercing into the brick next to his head and showering his head with pellets. The little piece was oddly shaped, like a finger bone. Scott looked back. A small bloody hole had appeared in one of the Boneman's fingers and quickly sealed shut.

Anai started to push him. "Sain, we need to go." He could hear the fear in her voice.

"No. We're going to stop him now." He took a step forward, blasting out a jet of fire. The other creature did nothing to avoid it, instead letting it wash over him with a scream of pain. Scott cut off the stream of fire and the scream stopped.

But it was replaced with a sudden and deep laughter. Even covered in burns, the Boneman thrust his head backwards, laughing to the sky. And Scott caught his eye, glowing even more sinister, seemingly filled with delight.

All the stories he'd heard about these things didn't do it justice.

He stopped laughing. "Do you… enjoy pain?" A faint ripple passed over his body and the burns started to heal rapidly. "I do. Pain is so… beautiful." He raised an arm, scratching at his exposed skull. A white stub started to push out where the cap of his elbow was. His other hand reached up and grabbed the stub and started to pull. The air was suddenly filled with the sound of cracking and sliding bone as the white thing he was pulling continued to slide free of his arm. Just above his hand, it thinned into a smooth, sharp blade. With a flourish, he pulled the end free, flinging blood onto the ground.

Anai took a horrified step back. "Did he just… pull out his bone?"

"And fashioned it into a sword." Scott looked back at Chloe. She was cowering in the corner. He couldn't really blame her; running into a sadistic killer would usually have that sort of effect on people. She wouldn't move any time soon. "I'm going to need your help with this one," he said to Anai.

"You're a fool, Sain," she replied angrily. But she complied.

They moved without needing so speak. Scott thrust both hands into the ground while Anai leapt up towards the air. She howled and shot a tight beam of concentrated steam. An eruption of fire shot from the ground at the same moment the steam struck the Boneman. He screamed in pain again, but this time Scott could clearly hear the light hint of pleasure. The barrage stopped and Anai landed lightly beside him.

Boneman's body steamed through charred flesh; his skull was cracked and dented from the pressure. But slowly, sickeningly, it all reworked itself. Bone slid against bone as his skull popped back into place. He twisted his arms with light gasps of pleasure/pain. His eye settled over them as his skin began to stitch back together.

"This isn't working," Anai said desperately.

But Scott wasn't going to give up yet. "What's the best way to break bone?"

"Sudden force."

"Good enough for me." He dove headlong drawing his fists in for an attack.

Anai quickly threw up a field of mist to cover her brother. The two men clashed violently. Scott rained in with a hail of punches. But despite the Boneman's seemingly frail frame, the punches only hit air or a ready block. With a feint, Boneman was suddenly on the offensive. Scott dropped back, carefully timing bursts of fire to throw off the aim.

Anai watched the exchange from afar, using the mist to secretly wait. The blows were too fierce for her to get a good move.

Boneman swung his blade wide, forcing Scott to fall farther back, which was quickly followed by a burst of bone missiles from his fingers. Anai took the chance then. Keeping herself invisible, she slipped up behind the creature. He suddenly whipped around, wrapping a hand around her neck.

She gasped as his eye drilled into hers with an evil stare. "Your heart cannot hide from me." The sword pierced through her shoulder. Her eyes flashed in pain, a fierce scream piercing her throat. The fog fell as she slipped backwards, the bone blade sliding from her skin. Her hand clutched at her shoulder. Should realized in a panic that she couldn't feel her arm. She staggered and fell to her knees, the whole while keeping her eye locked with the Boneman's.

"ANAI!" Scott screamed when he saw her. The only thing keeping him from moving was the body between them.

Boneman sniggered, lifting the blood-coated blade to his lips. "Glorious life…" His tongue slid out, black and grotesque, to slide along, slurping at the red liquid.

Anai's body clenched in a short spasm. The pain that was focused in her arm suddenly spread through her whole body. She lifted a hand. The blood was practically dripping from it. Then suddenly her skin started to melt away, revealing muscle tendons. She howled as first her hand and then her arm sizzled and melted to nothing but bone. The light around her eyes started to brighten.

Scott watched in horror as his sister screamed. She stared at her hand that was completely bloody but otherwise fine.

"Isn't it glorious?" the Boneman asked with a hiss. "Even only in the mind it is beautiful. Soon the shock will stop her heart." His head tilted to look at Scott over his shoulder. "Would you like to join her?"

Scott charged then, throwing a fireball from his palm. The Boneman used a swing of his sword to send it away. In only that short span, Scott closed the gap and hopped over the Boneman's head, closing the gap and sliding next to Anai. His hand instantly went to her head. "Anai! Anai, snap out of it!"

A sudden sting filled Anai's face. Her eyes searched up and found Scott, his hand raised for another snap. The pain in her body was suddenly gone. She looked at her hand. It was still completely intact. She touched her shoulder. It stung, but the blade had mysteriously not pierced anything vital. The blood flow had already started to stem and moving her arm caused enough for her to flinch but not much else.

Scott's hand touched her cheek. "You with me, Anai?"

"Yes." She looked back up at him. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He reached his hand down to help her up.

She started to reach for it but stopped when she looked again. His bracelet was wrapped around his wrist and a long thin gash had been cut across his palm. Her eyes looked at his again. "Scott…"

"I know. I'm an idiot."

The words stopped. With one hand, she slipped on her bracelet and drew a line cut across her hand just deep enough to draw blood. "Born of one blood."

His eyes glinted with fresh determination. "Bound by one spirit."

She clasped his hand. Energy began to flow through their arms, filling each other.

"We are one."

Boneman waited several yards away. His enjoyment had been spoiled the moment he had broken her from the trance. Clearly he would have to kill them; no more time to play. "Enough. Time for you to meet your deaths." He dashed in, blade held for a thrust.

Anai and Scott suddenly spun. Scott remained crouched and supported Anai who spun effortlessly over his shoulder to send a foot into the forehead of the Boneman.

The sudden impact wasn't expected and sent the assassin sliding back. He caught his balance, surprised by the sudden counter.

His eyes searched the two. Something had changed between them. They clasped hands tightly. Their eyes seemed to glow with a fierceness that he hadn't seen. After a moment, he recognized it. "Spirit Bond." He laughed. "This is going to be fun."

They leapt simultaneously. Boneman swung at Anai, but Scott suddenly pulled her to the side. With his other hand, he sent a pulse of steam through his arm at Boneman. The heat did nothing, but the extreme force through him off balance. Anai suddenly spun in from the side, Scott adding momentum to send another kick into Boneman's head.

Boneman retaliated with a series of quick thrusts, but every swipe was avoided with a perfectly executed pull, push, or swing. The two moved almost in a dance, sliding over and around each other to avoid every threat.

He had seen the Spirit Bond before, but these two seemed to practically live in each other's minds and move as one body.

His thoughts were slashed as Scott slammed a shoulder into his stomach. The air was shoved from his lungs. For a split second, his mind slipped into the death realm of uncertainty.

The next move came so fast that he couldn't see it. His sword was knocked from his hand by Anai who quickly tossed it over to Scott. With only a flick, the point was plunged through Boneman's head.

Scott and Anai broke contact, nearly spilling to the ground in the second of disorientation. That always happened when they broke the bond.

The body of the Boneman teetered slightly before falling back. Blood spilled onto the ground over a face eternally frozen in a look of quiet joy.

**A/N: You all better review after this chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Desperation**

**A/N: Ah, finally I'm getting some reviews. I only just realized, as doesn't seem to be sending out alerts all of a sudden. Oh well. Thank to all for your reviews so far and keep sending them.**

The yellow eye continued glaring at her. All she could do was cower helplessly under its penetrating glare.

But suddenly, it vanished. The terror that held her heart disappeared without a trace. With a trembling hand, Chloe pushed herself up, shaking but otherwise alright.

Scott and Anai came around the corner. Anai was clutching a cloth to her shoulder, but it was already bloody. "Anai…"

She just gave a wave. "I'll be fine. It's minor."

Scott took her elbow and led her out, leading her away from the body they had left in the alley.

"Is that thing still after us?" she asked.

"No," Scott answered. "We took care of it."

Chloe understood the subtle tone. "What was it?"

"One of the most dangerous bounty hunters you'll ever see."

She understood that. It wasn't quite what she meant, but there had to have been a reason that they weren't sharing more.

They all went silently back to the apartment building that they had hastily abandoned. Anai walked inside, her mind seemingly in a tumble. Scott asked first, "What are you thinking?"

"Carlos sent that Boneman," she said simply. "He's one of the Keepers. Why would he risk himself like this?"

"He's obsessed with finding her," Scott suggested.

Anai shook her head. "No. If it were just that, he would have simply sent more men. So why would he send a Boneman?"

"He's obviously getting desperate." Scott and Anai turned to Chloe, who had suggested it. Her face reddened slightly under the gaze. "Well, if this Boneman person is as bad as you say, I would think he'd only use one as a last resort. Just… thinking as a human, anyway."

Scott ran a hand through his hair. "Carlos is a Keeper." He looked back at Anai. "That means he answers to the Council."

Anai caught his eye, following his train of thought. "The Council must know Chloe escaped. And he has to find her fast."

"What Council?"

The Vaporeon looked over at Chloe. "The Council is our ruling body, like your government. They are the final authority for our people."

"They're the ones who can choose to have you killed," Scott finished.

"So, are they the ones that can say I'm ok?" she asked.

Scott twisted. They locked eyes. "Chloe, these aren't people you want to mess around with."

"But you said they could _choose_ to kill me. That means they can choose to _not_ kill me, right?"

"That is true," Anai said. "But I don't think it would be something to risk."

"Chloe, once the Council has you, you are completely at their mercy."

"Scott, please. I don't want to do all of this running. It's only been two days and I'm already sick of it." She looked away. "Right now, even death would seem like a break."

"Don't say that."

Scott stepped over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me," he said gently. She obeyed after a moment of hesitation. "I am not about to let you go to the very people I'm trying to protect you from."

"But that's that problem, Scott. You're fighting to protect me. Believe me, I'm more than grateful." She looked over at Anai's bleeding shoulder. "But you keep fighting. And if it keeps up, you're only going to get yourself killed." She looked back. "If there's a chance that we can stop this, I'll take it."

For a moment, Scott was lost for words. This was the same woman that he had loved, the same woman he fought for, the same woman that had put him through hell only months ago. "You're being silly…"

"No, I'm not, Scott. You risk yourself for me. Now it's my turn."

She really did still care about him.

"How do we get in touch with the Council?"

"We don't," Anai answered. "You don't find the Council. The Council finds you."

"Actually," Scott interrupted, "I know someone that can help us."

THEY STOPPED AT a run-down hole-in-the-wall that Chloe would have simply walked past any other day. The front window was emblazoned with a glowing eye with the words "Psychic Readings" wrapping around it.

She looked at Scott. "A Psychic?"

He reached for the door looking back at her. "After everything else, this surprises you?" He stood aside and let her in.

The lobby was dark, lit only by candles aside from the light coming through the tinted window, and decorated exactly like she would have guessed a fortune-teller's shop would be. A man sat behind a desk reading through a book. His yellow skin stretched into an obscenely long nose that almost fell like a trunk. The features gave her the impression of a Drowzee. "You know, that actually makes sense now."

The man at the desk looked up. When Scott walked in, he dropped his book and stood with a smile. "Scott." They stepped towards each other and embraced tightly. "It's been too long, old friend."

"It certainly has."

The two separated. "Who are your friends?"

"Geln, this is Anai, my sister, and Chloe, a good friend of mine." Geln went to each in turn, politely kissing their hand. "Geln, I need to collect on that favor," Scott said, his face and tone becoming serious.

"Really? And what is it that I can do for you?"

"Can you still get up with the Council?"

Geln's face went stern. Her glanced back quickly at the curtains in the back. "It is possible. I have not tried in months. I could possibly get you to them. But may I ask why you must contact them?"

"No, you can't." Scott jerked his head towards the curtains. "Let's get this done."

Geln nodded and moved quickly towards the curtains, holding them open for Scott. Chloe started to follow, but Geln stopped her. "I'm sorry, ma'am. This is personal business."

Scott pushed Geln aside. "Actually, she _is_ the business." Geln just stood in confusion as Scott pulled her into the even darker rear room.

When Geln followed, he came with quick questions. "Scott, she can't go to the Council."

"She can and she is," he answered back.

"My powers are useless on a human, Scott, you know that. They are protected by the Shroud."

"You're a Psychic. Look at her."

He did. Through the dim light, Chloe and Geln locked eyes. After a moment, his mouth slowly started to droop. "She's… She can…"

"Yes, Geln, she can see you."

Geln's eyes started to quickly dart between the two of them. "Oh, Scott, what have you done?"

Scott put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Listen, Geln, Chloe isn't dangerous. She's not going to hurt anyone. The Keepers are after her and we need the Council to stop them. Will you help us?"

Geln thought for a moment, shifting his gaze between Chloe, Scott, and the wall. "I am such a dead man."

"But a helpful one." Scott patted Geln's shoulder and stepped back over to Chloe.

Anai stepped over as well. "This is going to feel strange, Chloe. Everything will go black. But stay calm and do exactly what we do."

Chloe nodded and took a breath.

Geln's body started to glow lightly. The darkness crept into Chloe's vision until all of her senses seemed to die. For a moment, she wondered if she had made the right choice.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**The Council**

The inky blackness lasted for seconds, making Chloe fear that something had gone wrong. And then light started to break through. It was very weak, but it was light. The darkness broke around her. As soon as it did, she heard a loud eruption of gasps.

She, Scott, and Anai were now standing in some kind of underground cavern. Gentle light lit the area from an unknown source. And directly before them was a long curving table, behind which sat a collection of very surprised beings. Even without needing to look at them all, she could sense sheer power emanating from them. Every single one locked their eyes on her.

The one at the center, a tall woman covered in white fur and a fox face stood. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked fiercely.

Chloe took a minor step back, but Scott acted quickly. He bowed, placing two fingers to his forehead. "Naris. I seek an audience."

The group erupted into screams. "What is a human doing here?" "Explain yourself, Eon!"

"Please, Naris…" Scott motioned a hand back towards Chloe, gently pulling her forward. "This is Chloe Redden."

Her name caused them all to stop. One by one, they started whispering to each other. The Ninetails that had been standing gently sat back down. "We know of Chloe Redden. We understood that the Keepers were still trying to find her."

"They still are, Naris."

Another round of murmurs. "How did you know to bring her here if you are not one of the Keepers?" a large gangly man in red fur asked from the side.

"Chloe comes of her own will, seeking your aide." He looked at her, motioning her forward.

She glanced between him and the Council. "What do I say?" she whispered.

"Just be honest with them. They won't hurt you… probably." She glanced at him, momentarily fearful. "I'm right here," he promised.

She turned to the Council, taking a careful step forward. "H…hello."

They stared at her intensely. She could almost feel their minds pressing against hers. With a shudder, she realized they very well could be.

The Luxray next the Ninetails tilted his head at her. "You present us with a very curious problem, Chloe Redden."

"I'm sorry," she said honestly.

"A simple apology is not going to suffice," he responded. "The knowledge you now possess is extremely dangerous."

"Please, sir. If it's about what I know, I won't tell a soul."

"Sadly, that also will not suffice."

"There are many humans that speculate our existence," another Councilwoman said. "Your abilities are exactly what they seek to completely expose our entire race."

"And as I'm sure you're aware, we cannot allow this to happen."

"So why not just close up the temple?" Chloe asked quickly. "Isn't that what started all of this?"

"The magic surrounding that temple forbids us from entering. Only humans may do so."

"If there were any way for us to close the temple forever, we would have done so long ago."

"Naris, if I may…" Scott stepped closer, coming next to Chloe. "I have known Chloe for many years. There is not a being alive that I believe to be more trustworthy. Please, Carlos has put her through a lot these past few days, could you please show her some compassion?"

The Ninetails held up her hand. "Carlos? What sort of things, exactly, has he put her through?"

CARLOS PACED HIS office anxiously, checking his watch again. He only had hours left before he had to report to the Council. And the Boneman had yet to return with the girl.

In his experience with the Boneman, there were only one reason a Boneman would not complete a job. Psychopathic they may be, but they were usually loyal. But would two Eons be strong enough to kill a Boneman?

And what if they had? It wouldn't be hard to backtrack the Boneman directly to Carlos. Everything would be ruined.

He forced himself to breathe deeply. "Easy, Fan," he told himself. "You're probably getting worked up over nothing. Besides, there's still almost three hours left."

There was a knock at his door. It opened and Cynthia, their psychic, stepped inside. "The Council wishes to see you now."

Carlos stopped his pacing, glancing at her. Why so soon? Tiny sparks started to jump at his cheeks. Sometimes the Council really irked him. But he didn't have a choice. "Very well."

He straightened his tie as the darkness encompassed him. As soon as the chamber appeared, he bowed with his fingers to his forehead. "Naris, forgive me, but I thought…" His words caught in his throat as he glanced just off to the side. Three others were in the chamber as well. And one of them was a human. He jerked upright, stepping back slightly. "You!"

"Fan, you have some explaining to do."

Carlos glanced between the Council and the others. There was a chance the situation could still be saved. "Naris, may I ask what these Eons are doing here?"

"You should know that, Carlos," Scott said. "I mean, we are the ones that have been beating you at every move you make."

He acted quickly. "Council, these two are not acting in the best interests of our people. They have kidnapped and protected the human when she should be kept under the closest of guards."

"Guards? What would you expect her to do?"

"You have no authority to speak, Eon."

"And I shall remind you, Fan," the Ninetails said sharply, "that you have no authority to silence him." She looked between the two. "We are attempting to determine if this human is truly dangerous, as you, Fan, have suggested."

Carlos nodded.

"Naris," Scott said, drawing their eyes to him. "I believe we can all agree that there will always be some danger. But with our knowledge in Chloe's hands, it is in no more danger than it always has been."

"She's a human," Carlos said simply. "If she knows, others will learn. We must be certain to eliminate the risk for good."

"The risk is not worth killing a living being."

"Can I say something?" The room became silence after Chloe's request as everyone turned towards her. "I think I should be able to defend myself here."

The Ninetails nodded. "You may speak."

She almost instantly regretted it. For several seconds, she stood anxiously, debating on which words to say. A hand gently wrapped around hers. Scott leaned in, whispering gently, "You can do this."

She nodded, swallowing the knot in her throat. "I understand why you would want to keep yourselves hidden. We haven't been the most hospitable race in earth's history. But we've changed; surely you've been able to see that. Yes, we still have thieves and murderers, but we are much more accepting.

"I'm not saying that you should come out now. But are you really so stuck in the past that you can't see us for who we are now?"

The Council looked back and forth between themselves. "The human shows wisdom," one of them said. There was a round of gentle affirmations and nods.

The Ninetails took over. "You make an excellent case, Chloe Redden. Perhaps our view of humans has been erred."

Carlos hung his head, rubbing a hand to his temple. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Chloe Redden, for the time being, you shall be allowed to go."

"What?" Carlos burst.

An almost stupid grin came across Chloe's face, more from relief than anything else.

Scott quickly bowed. "Thank you, Naris."

"I'm not finished yet," the Ninetails added. "You, Eon of Fire, shall be charged with watching over her. I believe you have proven yourself more than capable."

"I shall do as you request."

Sparks at Carlos's cheeks zapped at the air. "You can't do this."

"I think they just did." The Raichu spun at Scott, but the man was already disappearing. "By the way, your Boneman sends his regards." And then they were gone.

Carlos looked back at the Council, his face turning pale. Their cold stares said it all.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Chloe nearly sagged when the room reappeared; her body seemed to tingle. Scott quickly swooped under her, holding her tightly. He giggled into his ear. "That was beautiful, Chloe."

She wrapped his arms around him, hugging him back. His laughter spilled over into her, causing her to giggle with him. "Thank you, Scott. I wouldn't have been able to do it without you."

His arms danced across her back. She knew the touch well, but hadn't felt its comfort in months. Her eyes looked up at him. He leaned over, pressing his lips to hers tightly. The surprise stalled her for only a moment before she pressed back against him. It was strange, kissing something like a muzzle; but it was Scott, and that was enough to overwhelm the momentary strangeness.

She pulled back after several seconds. "I'm so sorry, Scott."

"It's fine," he said, rubbing his forehead against hers. "I forgive you."

"Please, Sain, get a room." They broke away from each other and looked over at Geln. He held his hand out towards Chloe. "I'd like to be the first to welcome you."

She accepted his hand, shaking it politely. "Thank you."

"Any friend of Sain's is a friend of mine. If you ever need anything, give me a call. Sain has my number."

THEY LEFT THE store shortly after. The busy people outside passed by, completely oblivious.

Anai stepped out, looking back at them. "Well, I think I'll be off now." She caught Chloe's eyes. "You didn't expect me to stay for good, did you? Scott needed a favor."

Chloe gave the other female a tight hug. "Thank you for everything."

"No. Thank you." Anai pulled back. "Scott was practically miserable. Please, don't hurt him again."

"I won't."

"I'll hold you to that." She stepped away, suddenly blending and disappearing into the crowd.

The two stood for a moment before Scott wrapped his arm around her. "Well, looks like we're gonna be spending a lot more time together.

She patted his hand gently. "I think I can handle that." They shared another kiss as they walked off.

And all around, the world continued, blissfully ignorant of the secrets lying just below the surface.

For now.

**A/N: Ah… Well, that certainly was fun for me. I hope you all enjoyed this story. And I hope you'll show that in your reviews.**

**Thank you to everyone that stuck through to the finish. You all rock!**

**And special thanks to perhaps my greatest beta reader ever, Lix Lorn the Eeveetrainer.**

**Until next time, farewell all.**


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